Nagahoshi Miyako: A Year in the Ninja World
by vall94
Summary: A girl that's been all her life a Naruto fan finds out she is born in the Leaf Village. She is given two choices - to return to her normal safe life or to become a ninja. She decides on a settlement by compromise - to experience a year as a ninja!
1. Origin

**Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.**

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**Chapter 1**

**Origin**

A boy with short dark brown hair, nearly black… deep forest green eyes… light vanilla smooth skin… a soft light pink blush adorning his flustered face… silky untouched lips… until the… first… kiss…

"Haru-kun…" mumbled the dream's owner only to be interrupted by…

"Beep, beep, beep…" the alarm rang while the screen light started to blink. A disoriented hand swatted a few times at the snooze button. Then came a groggy grunt from the bed and something resembling a huge black hair monster rose on its elbow. When the person finally pulled her hair back with her fingers to yawn loudly, it came clear that this was a girl with long straight black hair and dark brown eyes.

'_Morning __already! It felt like only an hour's sleep. Man, I hate Mondays…_' thought the sleepy girl. She pushed the blanket off and got up to get ready for school. It seemed she had forgotten her… rather peculiar dream.

The walls in the room were light orange with posters and drawings of bands, anime characters and manga pages here and there, on most of which were either a grinning blond haired boy, a cheerful pink haired girl or a stoic raven haired boy and the words "Naruto" on each poster. A typical otaku, it would seem. Mostly a Narutard…

The girl proceeded with her mourning routine: taking a shower, putting on a pair of loose dark blue jeans, a blue t-shirt over a black long sleeved shirt, having breakfast … only to notice some of her things missing. She decided that she probably put her things elsewhere and forgot, so she dropped the subject and continued to pack her schoolbag. Then, the bell of the two room apartment rang.

"Coming!" yelled the girl and ran to the front door to see who was attacking the doorbell so early. She opened it to let in a tough looking, heavily built, yet generous old woman in her fifties with black eyes, hazel hair and a tight tidy bun on the back of her head.

"Okada-san? Good morning!" said the clearly confused girl. Okada Azumi was the girl's landlady and caretaker since the girl didn't have the opportunity to know her parents. She worked as a local businessman's secretary and had many ties throughout town. The old lady once had a husband, Okada Isamu, who had died some years ago, and no children. She told the girl that one day a woman she never met before pleaded her to give a recently born baby a home. The generous and lonely Azumi accepted and never saw the lady again. Okada-san looked after the baby and taught it how to take care of its self until it turned 5. For 7 years now Okada-san let the girl live on the second floor, gave her a monthly allowance and in exchange the girl did some housework, gardening, groceries and errands for the old lady.

"Good morning, Miyako-chan! I need you for a very special errand today. Do care to drop this by the address I've written on this note after school, would you?" said Okada-san in her usual persuasive voice when she wanted Miyako to do something for her, while shoving an obviously overpacked big travelling bag in the girl's arms. Miyako realized how heavy it was only after her knees started bending and she had to change posture so she could handle the weight. No matter how many displeased faces the girl went through, the weight didn't get any lighter nor did her care taker call off the errand. "And don't open it! Thank you, dear!" Okada-san blurted out while rushing down the stairs. Then on the last step she stopped, turned and looked at the young girl with a worried look. At this Miyako froze still and became even more confused. She hadn't seen the old woman this worried since a winter two years ago when Miyako came home from school one night an hour later than usual because she couldn't find her hat. Okada-san slowly came back up the stairs, went up to the slightly shorter girl dropped her purse and hugged Miyako tightly causing the girl to drop the heavy weight and widen her eyes with surprise.

'_What's up with her today? She's up __this early, a couple of hours before she has work,__ assigns me to __send__ a really heavy bag, gives me that look, and now this?_' the child grew more and more confused by the second.

"Do take care, Miyako-chan." Okada-san whispered still hugging the girl. After that she carefully let go and started smiling an odd smile. A smile that said 'I'm not going to cry and be strong for this'. She picked up her purse and while obviously suppressing tears, said "Oh, sorry, dear. I just realized I haven't hugged you in a long while."

'_Lie…_' Miyako quickly registered in her mind, eyes narrowing with doubt. '_You don't like hugs. You don't like __openly __showing such feelings._'

"Well, I have to go. I have some things to take care off before work. Sayonara!" Okada-san quickly excused herself and rushed down the stairs yet again.

'_Maybe she's in her monthly or something…_' Miyako calmed herself as she sweatdropped to her landlady's silliness. The girl picked up the heavy bag again and went back inside the apartment. She put the sack on the floor and the address note on top of it so she wouldn't forget about it. Then she stood there lost in thoughts while looking at the oddly stuffed dark blue travelling bag in the middle of the room.

'_What could possibly be in that thing? It's so __full__… I can't see what's in it but…_' Miyako knelt in front of the bag and started poking it. '_Soft…_' she pushed on it with her hand a little more roughly this time. '_Clothes? Is she making me give away old clothes or something?_' the girl dwelled a little more on letting herself be consumed by curiosity, disobeying her caretaker and finding out the contents of the bag or going along with her natural loyalty and letting the heavy weight rest in peace. She closed her eyes and sighed. Her kind nature took the better of her and she decided not to open the bag.

Being done, Miyako took her brown knee length hooded coat, put on a pair of grey brown sneakers, picked up her school bag and the travel sack and took off on her errand bike she had from Okada-san.

The school wasn't too far from the apartment, only three blocks south of it. Miyako stopped a block away, in front of a yellow house with a beautiful garden. It was the house of a classmate of hers. She put her bike down next to the entrance and rang the doorbell after which sheheard a woman's soft voice tell her she was coming. The woman opened the door and said with a motherly tone:

"Good morning, Miyako-chan! How are you today? Please, come in and sit down." the woman was in her early thirties, a little taller than Miyako, well built, with a red dress, a pink apron, blond hair and forest green eyes. She gestured to the girl to come in and leave her bags. She led Miyako through the living room into the kitchen to sit down on the kitchen table next to a tall man in his thirties, wearing a suit and reading a newspaper while drinking his morning coffee. He had dark brown, nearly black hair and light brown eyes. "Haru-kun isn't ready yet. Did you have breakfast? I made pancakes." Haru's mom continued her usual morning dialogue with Miyako.

"Good morning, Yamamori-san, Yamamori-sama. I'm fine, how are you? No, thank you, I just ate. How did replanting the petunias go?" Miyako answered each of Mrs. Yamamori's questions and greeted Haru's dad.

"Good morning, Miyako-chan." the man replied fatherly while flipping a page.

Miyako liked Haru's parents. They were so warm and friendly towards her. They had a nice, cozy house and a marvelous garden. Haru's dad worked in the near city and liked collecting battleships. He was mostly busy with work but still had time for his family and his hobby. Haru's mom was always busy with housework or her hobby - gardening. She was friendly towards everyone and was very caring. They looked like the perfect family. Miyako often dreamed about being their daughter…

"Micchan! Morning! Sorry for making you wait. I couldn't find my Math textbook." Miyako snapped back into reality to watch a boy her age go down the stairs in the living room with a black-red half-open schoolbag on his shoulder. He was as tall as her with his father's hair, only a bit longer and spikier, and his mother's eyes. The boy wore a green and white long sleeved jumper, grey baggy pants and a red-grey jacket hanging on one arm. He tripped in the trailing jacket sleeve and rolled half way down the stairs. His schoolbag opened on itself and its contents spilled on the floor. Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and watched the boy's actions while sweatdropping.

"Morning, Haru-kun. I see your Math textbook isn't the only thing you couldn't find…" Miyako joked and went to help Haru. His parents smiled at their son's usual silliness and continued what they were doing. The girl helped the boy put his books back in his bag, who smiled in return. He sat with her at the table. Mrs. Yamamori put a dish with a dozen of pancakes in the middle of the table and a bottle of syrup.

"I know you ate, dear, but you could at least try one or two." Haru's mom told Miyako while sitting down.

"Thank you, I will." the girl replied and took a pancake from the dish. Haru followed her by taking half the dish's pancakes in his plate, drowning them in syrup and eating them in large pieces.

"I swear, you eat pancakes like Naruto does ramen." Miyako commented at the boy's table manners. He turned to her with his mouth full and muffled something that sounded like 'No I don't'.

The kids said their goodbyes to Haru's parents, received a kiss on the cheek from Haru's mom and left for school. Since Haru had to walk and the school was just a block ahead Miyako didn't paddle and pushed her bike beside her while walking. Haru was ranting on about how difficult today's homework was and that he hoped he wouldn't screw up at push-ups during P.E. A memory popped into the girl's head.

"Hey, Haru, I think I just remembered what I was dreaming about last night. Or at least a part of it."

"Oh? What was it about" Haru looked curious at her. Miyako laughed and replied:

"It was something about you blushing. That's the only thing I remember. What could possibly make you blush, Haru-kun?" Miyako smiled and looked with mocking interest at the boy. "A girl maybe? Do you like someone, lover boy?" she continued to mock. Haru's face turned redder and redder with each question. "Oh, so you do! Who is she? Is she from our class?" the boy reddened more, answering the question."This is getting interesting. She's from our class and you've liked her for how long? Since first grade maybe?" the blush on the boy's face confirmed. "Is her hair dark or fair?" his blush deepened on 'dark'. "Ha! I knew it! I knew it all along. You're so obvious." the blush reached critical levels. "Yamamori Haru likes Sugino Yazuki!" The red died quickly.

"What? What gave you the idea that I like her of all people?" Haru retorted outraged and frowned.

"Well… You act almost the same as Naruto but you're hard-working in school. Naruto likes Sakura and she's smart, egoistic and confident. There are two girls in our class that match that description. When I asked you if she had dark or fair hair you reddened when I said dark and of the two I thought about only Yazuki fitted. She has long silky black hair and deep blue eyes…" Miyako said in an otaku manner.

"Hey, I do not act like that dude in that anime you watch! I do not like egoistic people and definitely not Yazuki! Besides, you hate her..." Haru looked like an accused innocent without a lawyer.

"Well, then I have no idea who you like. I give up!" Miyako waved her free hand in the air and realized they were at the school grounds.

Haru looked at the watch on his wrist and smiled. "We're not late this time. There's still time 'till first period."

"You mean you're not late, and thanks to me. If it's not me to drag you here in the morning you'll be late like you always are." Miyako pointed out and tied her bike to a bike stand. She unhitched the heavy sack from the back of the bike and put it on her free shoulder. The two classmates started walking inside the crowded school towards their classroom. Haru had just noticed the large bag.

"What's that? Is Okada-san making you give away weights for the school again or are you planning on running away from her and you brought all your stuff here because you're going to live in school. Don't let it be the last one. Running away from errand tyranny is so not worth living here. Besides she knows the principal and …" The boy was interrupted by the big sack flying his way. He caught it and barely managed to retain his balance. They were by some lockers in the middle of the third floor corridor.

"Hold this for a minute and take a break from talking." Miyako dropped her schoolbag on the floor and opened her locker. The girl took the heavy weight from Haru, who looked relieved afterwards, stuffed it in her locker along with her coat and closed it. "I don't know what Okada-san is making me carry. It feels like clothes. Maybe she's making me give away old clothes for charity or something." The boy nodded and put his jacket in the locker next to the girl's. They picked up their schoolbags and walked in the nearest classroom.

The room was noisy and full. The boys were sitting on their desks and talking excitedly about some game last night. Some of the girls were talking about some new drama on TV. A group of girls with an angry, long black haired, blue eyed girl leading them were arguing with an annoyed short blond haired girl with brown eyes and a scared shorter long hazel haired girl with blue teary eyes who was hiding behind the blond one. The scared one had a pink handprint on her cheek.

Miyako and Haru looked at them curious. Haru shook his head and went to join the guys. Our brownhead stood there and watched thesituation with the girls unfold.

"How dare you reject my order, you low life! I demand you give me your English textbook! Or you want me to forbid you from seeing my dear cousin? I already know he's your crush. You don't stand a chance anyway. He has many admirers. You're shy and nowhere near beautiful enough to be in a Sugino man's league." said the black haired girl in a snobbish-like manner while flicking long silky black locks of hair over her shoulder. The girls behind her cheered on as the frightened hazel haired girl started crying.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that, Sugino snake! You have no right to either demand or forbid Tsuki-chan anything. She's a person with feelings and rights. She is as beautiful as anyone else and has confidence. She just doesn't throw it in people's faces. Your family isn't any better than anyone else's. Your cousin can choose to see who he wants. What's wrong with you people? He's not a god or anything." the blond defended the crying girl behind her back.

Yazuki's face reddened with anger at the backtalk and tried to slap the blond. The blond quickly caught her by the wrist and bended it at a hurtful angle. The fury on the black haired girl's face was replaced with pain and fear. She knelt in attempt to lessen the pain and try to get out of the blond girl's grip. Neither was a success. The other girl was strong. The girls behind Yazuki looked shocked that their leader had fallen so easily. They stepped back and laid no hand to help her. Yazuki looked at them with pleading eyes but seeing that she wasn't going to receive any help she barked profanities at them.

The others in the room stopped talking and watched the scene that was unfolding in their own classroom. Yazuki started crying and tried to scratch the blond with her free hand. The blond caught the brunette's other wrist and also bent it behind her. Yazuki shrieked and started struggling even more. Behind the blond, Tsuki looked even more scared. She hugged the blond from behind and shrieked with a tiny voice:

"Shun, please stop! You're scaring me!"

"No! The snake deserves it!" Shun seethed between her teeth and bended Yazuki's wrists more so she would give in to the applied force and kneel with her face on the floor, letting out grunts and breathing heavily. The small hazel head also let out a gasp, startled by her friend's actions and, letting go of Shun, took a couple of frightened steps back. The blond put one leg on the brunette's back and stared pulling her hands.

At this Miyako had to take action. The scene and its consequences were just too familiar for her to just sit back and watch as Yazuki's arms were about to come out from their sockets. Shun didn't know what she was about to do. She didn't know her own strength. And she didn't even have the excuse of being possessed by a curse mark. Like a certain drawn 2D Uchiha.

Miyako dropped her bag on the floor and ran at the blond. She kicked the one leg that was keeping Shun's balance. This caused the blond to let go of Yazuki's hands and retreat her other leg so she wouldn't fall. Meanwhile Miyako went behind the surprised Shun and held the girl's hands securely against her back, so she wouldn't jump on the black haired girl again. Yazuki took the chance and quickly crawled a meter away from Shun. Panting with fear she faced the blond and Miyako, trembling and at the verge of tears.

" What's wrong with you? Don't get so worked up over a little slap attempt from Bakazuki. Do you know what you were doing? That move could've ripped her arms out! As vile as a snake she is she's still not worth losing your cool over! You could get kicked out of school for hurting someone like that! Calm down already, Shun!" Miyako yelled with narrowed eyes. As she heard her name being shouted from her friend, Shun stopped struggling in attempt to once again pounce at Sugino and hung her head low, clenching teeth.

"I know but… She's just so irritating." Shun muttered. From her tone, Miyako estimated that the blond had come to her senses and wouldn't hurt Yazuki anymore so she let her go. Shun glanced briefly at Yazuki who yelped and stiffened. "Dare to open your mouth about this and I'll start talking about what you do to Tsuki every day, or even better, have a round two with you… I'll make your life so much of a hell that you'll start wishing you really were the snake you are on the inside so you could crawl away into the deepest hole you can find, got it, you foul-"

"Shun, enough, she got your point." Miyako broke her off again. Everyone in the room followed Shun with their eyes as she made her way to her seat on the back desk in the middle row, without even waiting for the horrified Sugino to give any kind of answer to her threat.

"Can you feel your shoulders and arms?" Miyako looked at Yazuki with a softer look.

"Yeah… whatever…" The brunette returned to her usual bratty self. She stood up and went to her seat followed by her group of fake friends.

"Wow… Awesome cat fight… Hate to be at the other end of that…" the boy sitting next to Haru voiced his thoughts, which resonated in the room, breaking through the heavy air. Miyako looked at him surprised and then the whole class burst out laughing. She joined them with an awkward laugh, scratching the back of her head.

"Nice one, Taiki!" Some of Miyako's classmates commented and the atmosphere in the room slowly returned to normal. Everyone started talking again as Miyako took her seat next to Shun and Tsuki sat in front of them.

"Riiing…" the school bell rang signaling the start of first period. Soon after that, the sensei came in and everyone stood up to show their respects.

"Good morning students!" bellowed a rather fat lady and took her seat on the desk in front of the class.

"Good morning Fugino-sensei!" the students replied in a monotone and sat back down. The teacher started the lesson and stood up to write on a whiteboard. The class wrote as she spoke of her subject and some of the students managed to answer the questions she asked once in a while.

At the last desk in the middle row Miyako wrote something on a sheet of paper and put it on Shun's side of the desk. Shun read it. '_We have to tal__k, lunch break,__ the 3rd floor bathroom!_' Then she wrote something else and put it on Miyako's side of the desk. Miyako read it. '_Whatever…'_

The two English classes dragged on with lots of writing and the constant bellowing of the fat sensei. Because Fugino-sensei caught a boy called Yasu snoring loudly while sleeping on the last desk in the right row behind Haru, the whole class didn't get to have a break between the periods. He did that more than often. Overall it was simply boring.

Next was finally a break and Math after it. Due to much begging, Haru gave Miyako copy his Math homework. This proved useful when the Math sensei took everyone's homework to check.

After Math was Natural history. Miyako used the recess between them to read the lesson for today and she, Shun, Tsuki, Yasu and Taiki listened to Haru tell the lesson in his own words. He might be a klutz but he's damn smart.

At 11 o'clock it was finally Lunch time. Right after the bell rang Miyako pulled Shun out of her seat and dragged her to the 3rd floor girl's restroom. They closed the door behind them and went away from it so no one could eavesdrop.

"Are you okay?" Miyako started the conversation calmly.

"What do you mean?" Shun looked surprised.

"You usually are talkative and less depressed than this. It's weird when you pay attention in class. What exactly made you want to hurt little miss "big ego" that much? I don't think it was just what she said today about Tsuki. I believe there's more. Tell me what happened." Miyako became serious and narrowed her eyes.

"Fine… Well… I actually like someone…" Shun slightly blushed.

"Really? I still haven't experienced my first love. Who is it? Huh? Huh? Tell me!" Miyako dropped the cool serious act and switched into nosy girl mode with a full on grin.

"Sugino Taka…" Shun blushed even more and looked aside.

"Oh my Kira! You're kidding me! You like ego queen's cousin? Congratulations, you've just won the "Taka's 100th fangirl" prize." Miyako switched back into her usual joking mode.

"Hey, I don't like him like some kind of fangirl!" Shun pouted.

"Tell it to the judge. You got angry when I called you a fangirl and you've just pouted." Miyako continued to muse.

"Anyway, Friday last week after you left I tried to introduce myself to him. I used "The Falling Books of Love Maneuver" on Sugino-kun." Shun started.

"I told you my report was handy. Even if sensei gave me those pityful 60 points for that genius article, I still say every girl needs to know "The 14 Maneuvers of Love"." Miyako puffed her lungs with pride.

"I did it exactly like in the report. I faked that he bumped me and I dropped my books. I apologized even though it wasn't my fault and knelt down to get my books with a sad expression…" she continued.

"What did he do? What did he do?" Miyako was impatient.

"He knelt and helped me. When we stood up I thanked him with my head on the side and the cutest smile I've got. I said "You're Sugino Taka, right?" and he said "Yeah. And you're from my cousin's class, right? You're the clumsy, idiotic fast-runner with a short attention span, Yamaike Shun. Man, you really are a loser. Watch where you're going next time. Che." He even changed his expression from the usual cool one to an annoyed one…" Now Shun was crying animatedly. Miyako sweatdropped but still opened her arms wide motioning with her fingers for Shun to come. Shun obeyed and went to cry on Miyako's soon to be soaked shoulder. Miyako was familiar with the kind of cold attitude Taka had, that Sasuke-like prick.

"Can you go on?" Miyako asked concerned.

"Yeah." Shun got out of the hug and continued. "Then Yazuki went by and said that he hates me and that he was just being nice when he called me a loser. She forbid me to speak to any Sugino for the well being of her family's nerves. Why, that girl's such a snob. She got lucky last Friday and today but next time I'll rip her to pieces." Shun got angry again and waved her fist in the air with a fiery anger in her eyes and gritted teeth.

"Okay now, there's no need to get mad. We both know she can't help it. She's just a spoiled brat from a rich family with bad personality genes." Miyako calmed down her moody friend again. "So, that's why you got so worked up earlier?"

"Yes…"

"Come on, speedy. Let's go get something to eat before lunch break is over. I'm starving and I can't wait to find out what's for lunch." Miyako gave Shun a happy grin. She grabbed her arm again and they ran to the cafeteria. They had lunch and then got back for Art class.

"Today we are going to make an art piece of ourselves as we think we look on the inside. You can use whatever materials you want. For example: this is my painting." said the Arts sensei and held up a painting of a way thinner her in a spotlight with a red revealing dress and too much make-up. She was holding a bouquet of roses in one hand and a microphone in the other. The students could barely hold their laughter. Miyako was face down on the desk trembling. Shun looked bored and muttered something in the lines of "I think she wants to be a singer or something. What do you guys think?" Tsuki was concerned about Miyako and was trying to calm her down. Haru and Taiki were with a hand in front of their mouths and watered eyes. Yasu on the last desk was fast asleep yet again.

After everyone calmed down they started drawing. Shun was drawing something that was apparently her as a superhero with inhuman speed but it looked more like a five-year-old's kindergarten drawing. Actually, that would be an offense for five-year-olds. Tsuki still hadn't figured out what she was going to draw. Haru and Taiki were already drawing themselves as football players, each triumphing over the other one. Yasu had finished drawing himself sleeping on a cloud and snored away. Miyako on the other side was drawing without paying attention to what she drew. She was looking at time to time to see if the meek Tsuki has started moving her pencil. Miyako finished her drawing and gave it to the sensei. The Art teacher looked at it strangely for a moment then wrote a 100 points for Miyako without giving it a word. On the way back Miyako looked that Tsuki's sheet was still blank. She sat down and started to think what she saw Tsuki like on the inside. She looked at Tsuki and concentrated on thinking harder. Then an idea popped into her head.

"Hey, Tsuki-chan, why don't you draw yourself as a fairy? Fairies are pretty, cute, nice and caring. You totally fit the description." Miyako bent over to Tsuki's seat and smiled. The shy girl looked embarrassed at Miyako and blushed.

"I do? But…" Tsuki looked down and muttered. "I can't draw any good…"

"You don't have to draw it good. You just have to draw it. Take example from Shun. She can't draw but still she does and she doesn't care if it's good." Miyako pointed at her deskmate's drawing and grinned.

"Hey, it is good. It's not my fault you don't have any appreciation for art." Shun crossed her arms and tried to look sophisticated. It didn't seem to work as Miyako and Tsuki looked dully at eachother and sweatdropped. After that Tsuki decided to give it a try and started drawing. When she finished it was a fairly decent fairy that kind of looked like her. The hair and eye color was the same. Miyako still helped her with the transparent fairy wings.

"Riiing…"

"After recess we are going to discuss the class' drawings." the sensei tried to outvoice the children's chatter.

"Umm, guys did any of you see what I drew? I kind of forgot…" Miyako said grinning sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head with one hand. She realized she looked just like Naruto and she laughed. Shun, Tsuki, Taiki, Yasu and Haru first sweatdropped then they shook their heads saying that they didn't see what she was drawing.

After recess was over the sensei called the students one by one to explain what they drew. As soon as sensei managed to force Shun to sit down from her long speech on mutant superheroes, the teacher called out Miyako. She got up and became nervous. Sensei put on the stand a black and white manga-like drawing of a kunoichi who had just thrown a few kunai jumping in mid air with the woods as a background. She had long dark hair and big dark eyes and shewore a gray T-shirt with dark lines at the ends, a long-sleeved fishnet shirt over it, dark shorts, a Konoha-Gakure hitai-ate on her left shoulder, dark ninja sandals and a dark kunai and shuriken holster on her right thigh. She looked like a cooler Miyako. The class looked with dumbly at the drawing thinking how typical it was for her to draw such a thing. Miyako just stood still looking at her drawing, stunned and speechless. She didn't remember drawing anything like that.

"Well, tell us about your creation." sensei encouraged. Miyako closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them and went next to her drawing. Miyako looked at the class and grinned proudly with her hands crossed over her chest.

"My name is Nagahoshi Miyako! On the outside I may seem like a harmless idiot but on the inside I'm a tough kunoichi! So watch out world because I'm going to kick ass!" Miyako yelled in a blunt but proud way. She then closed her eyes and smiled the widest smile. She didn't care what they would think of her anymore. She wanted to be just like the Miyako she drew. Brave and free. While her eyes were closed she heard mumbling and coughing. She turned to the sensei .The woman looked at her annoyed, shook her head disapprovingly and motioned to the girl to go back to her seat. Then there was a sound of paper being crumpled and thrown. Miyako looked at the class just as she was attacked by paper balls. Everyone started shouting and laughing at her. Her smile dropped and she went back to her seat while the others kept throwing paper at her.

"I think that was really cool. You were awesome!" Shun tried to cheer Miyako up. The boys and Tsuki just looked at her with sweatdrops. Miyako was sure they wouldn't talk to her for a while. Except for Shun. But that's because Shun was enthusiastic enough to encourage anyone. The strange thing was she still remained cool even when she was being obnoxious.

Physical education wasn't a breeze either. Apparently, the gym teacher had overheard from someone in the teacher's lounge Miyako wanted to "kick ass" so he thought he was going to teach the girl a lesson: "Nails that stick out always get hammered down." Familiar quote, isn't it? That's what Miyako thought when sensei explained to her why she was doing push-ups along with the boys while the girls were dismissed early.

"Come on, ladies! Looks like the girl is doing better than all of you. Do you want to be called wimps because you got beat by a girl? Pick up the pace!" The sensei yelled and then blew his whistle loudly in Yasu's ear, startling him and making him jump awake with a shout as he was making an attempt to nap on the ground.

'_Ugh! What does that guy have against me? Is he a sexist or something? I try to stand out and he pushes me in the dirt. Maybe this is for good. I just might build up some __stamina__._' Miyako thought and started concentrating on her breathing. As she controlled it she started doing push-ups faster and she didn't get so tired. The boys stopped and just looked at her, mouths gaping. The sensei looked at her, also amazed.

"Hey, hey, stop! That's enough! You pass. You'll overwork your muscles and then it'll be my fault!" he yelled as Miyako dropped on the ground, content of herself. "You girlies can take a break, too. Class is over. You're dismissed."

After a refreshing shower Miyako said her goodbyes with Haru, Taiki and Yasu. She got her coat and the blue sack from her locker and went outside. Just as she was about to hop on her bike, Haru called out to her. He looked as if he had to say something important to tell her. The slightly taller boy approached her. He opened his mouth and blushed madly as he closed it.

"Are you okay, Haru-kun? Do you have a fever? Your face is red. It's getting cold outside. Maybe you should hurry home or it'll get worse." Miyako looked caringly at him and put a hand on his forehead.

"It's not a fever…" Haru became more embarrassed. Miyako looked at him confused. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them and while still blushing he took Miyako's hand from his forehead in his own. Haru looked her in the eyes and said with a little more confidence: "Micchan… You're… Y-you're my dark haired girl!" Mikami made a confused face, which made Haru's expression fall. Surely she would reje-

"What dark haired girl about what?" The boy looked up startled, to find Miyako look at him smiling, obliviously innocent and confused to what he actually meant. Haru anime fell.

"D-don't you remember this morning?" Getting up and grabbing her hand again, he tried to latch onto something.

"Remember what?" She blinked cutely, still not getting it.

The boy sweatdropped. Well, so much for the indirect approach… The reddish hue returned to his face as his eyes found it hard to look straight into hers, but he didn't tear his gaze away.

"I love you."

...

The words shot through her mind, resonating as realization took over her. Miyako was shocked and speechless. She gaped and looked at Haru with nothing to say yet there were thousands of questions in her mind.

'_He loves ME! Of all those good looking girls in school he chose average me! But why? I'm nothing special. I'm almost invisible. And after today, I'm a loser. Yet Haru-kun likes me. Do I love him? Do I even like him? What is he to me:__ a classmate__,__ a childhood friend __or more than __that__…?_' The questions just kept coming.

"You don't have to say anything now. Maybe tomorrow when you've had time to think or later on. I just had to tell you and confuse you, didn't I? I'm sorry. I'll stop bothering you and go now." Haru released Miyako's hand and started walking away. Miyako's hand was starting to get cold. She realized that she felt warmer when the boy was holding it. The girl looked at the retreating back of her classmate. Something in her mind snapped. She remembered the dream from last night. All of it.

'_He's definitely more than a friend_.' Miyako thought and started running to catch up with Haru. She went in front of him with a wide smile. Glittering warm brown eyes looked at forest green ones. Miyako caught Haru's jacket, closed her eyes and pulled him in. This time Haru looked surprised and they both had a soft light pink blush. Their silky untouched lips met and they shared their first kiss. As they separated Haru still looked stunned and Miyako just smiled at him.

"Haru-kun, I like you too! Would you be my boyfriend? You don't have to say anything now. Maybe tomorrow when you had time to think or later on." the girl copied the boy's words as to joke around. Haru finally changed his look from surprise to joy and grinned widely.

"Of course, I would. Thank you." the boy hugged her to show how much it meant to him for her to return his feelings.

"I have to go now."

"Oh, yeah, the errand."

Haru hesitantly let go of her, although Miyako really didn't want him to do so. He watched as she got back to her bike and hopped onto it. Smiling at him once again before they parted ways, she added "You can tell mom and dad if you want." Understanding she was referring to his parents, Haru became flustered and red again at the thought of conversing with his folks that he was going out with his childhood friend.

"M-m-micchan!"

"See ya tomorrow, honey!" Grinning, Miyako joked one last time just to add even more color to her cute new boyfriend's face. Fuming and embarrassed Haru muttered a "bye" and hurried home. Miyako read the note with the address she had to deliver the bag to with the instructions on the back. It was quite far away on the outskirts of town but still she drove off wanting to get it over with.

The sky was dark with blue and grey clouds. The birds weren't singing anymore and there were no people on the streets. A wind was blowing quietly. A thunder storm with heavy showers was coming.

A girl with a brown knee length hooded coat with a grey and blue backpack on a blue bike with a big blue travelling sack in the back stopped on the sidewalk of a secluded street on the outskirts of her town. There were a lot of uninhabited old houses on the street. The girl got off her bike, unhitched the sack and put the bike on the ground. She looked at the old wooden house in front of her and then at the front and back of a sheet of paper in her free hand.

'_Did I get the instructions wrong? It's supposed to be this house but it __all the__ houses here look like they have been abandoned years ago_.' Miyako thought while reading the instructions for the fifth time now. '_It's this one for sure. But… who would live in that pile of __rotten __wood. Well, maybe it's just a deliver point_.' She made her way to the front door while avoiding the overgrown weeds on the ground. The wind started blowing faster and the house screeched. Miyako got a chill down her back and stopped a meter away from the door.

'_What's this vibe I'm getting from that place? Just now… it's like someone's watching me._' Miyako stood still and closed her eyes. '_Maybe I can sense where he or she is… No, I can't. I'm not a ninja and I'll never be…_' She opened her eyes and sighed. '_I'm just an ordinary person_.' When she looked back at the house she saw someone inside moving away from the dirty window. _ '…it was probably just my imagination…' _Miyako walked up the door, took a deep breath and opened it.

Inside the house was empty, dusty and really dark. There wasn't any furniture, only old ripped curtains over the dirty windows. There was an enormous hole in the ceiling revealing the second floor. The strong wind was making the house whistle, adding to the atmosphere. In Miyako's opinion the house was perfect for a scary movie or a Halloween haunted house. But she didn't feel scared. Maybe all the scary movies she saw were making the house look normal. The girl even felt sorry for the house. The screeching sounded to her like wailing of grief. Miyako heard someone move in the next room. She almost forgot about the errand.

"Hey, is someone there?" She closed the door behind her and went in the next room. "I'm Nagahoshi Miyako. I have a bag for you from Okada Azumi-sama." No one answered. Miyako looked around in the room. There was a note on the floor. Miyako's eye twitched.

'_I came all the way here for a second note? If it's some __errand girl __training again, I'm going home…_' The girl picked up the note and read it out loud.

""If you are Miyako, look up!" Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Miyako looked up without realizing she was doing what the note said. Up on the wall were crouched three men and a woman in standard leaf ninja uniforms: dark blue pants, shirts, sandals, gloves, kunai holsters, green vests, grey pouches under the back of their waists, grey backpacks on their backs and a Konoha headband which they all wore like a bandana to hide their identity. Their faces were also hidden up to the nose with the dark blue shirt's neck-piece.

"Yo! We'll be taking you now, Miyako-chan." One of the ninja who had only one visible eye that seemed to smile said in a familiar voice and snapped his fingers. Before the confused and surprised Miyako could get back to her senses three of the ninja disappeared from up the wall and before she knew it two of them were keeping her in place as a cloth with an odd scent which made her sleepy was pressed to her mouth and nose by someone from behind her. The girl relaxed herself in the two ninja's arms and fell asleep as the last thing she saw was the one eyed ninja hoping down from the wall.

...

'…_I could swear I knew him from somewhere…'_

...

"That should keep her body on stand-by for four days. We can still make it to the train which will lead us to the mountains where we can cross through the tunnel leading to the ninja lands before the storm rages. You remember your roles, right?" he said as he started taking off his uniform revealing an everyday person's casual clothes. He put a scarf over his face-mask and a coat he got out of his backpack. He took off his hitai-ate showing grey hair and a scar on his closed left eye. The ninja uniform he put in his backpack. The others put the girl gently on the floor and also changed their clothes. The woman and one of the men had almost the same hair color as Miyako.

"Yes. I, Hazel tree, and Brown bear are the girl's parents with fake names on our passports: Eri and Yuudai Nagahoshi. Red dragon and you, Gray scarecrow-kun, are our family friends: Daiki and Masaru, travelling with us." stated the woman. She had hazel hair and yellow eyes.

"And… how's our food and money status?" Gray crow asked the man with reddish hair and the same eyes as Hazel tree.

"We have the required money for road expenses and enough food for the four day trip." said Red dragon as he looked through his backpack. "Hey, sis, you still on a diet?" Hazel tree's eye twitched.

"Baka! Don't review our identities!" She hit him on the back of his head making him groan in pain. "Yeah, I am. Why?" She crossed her arms and glared.

"So I can eat your part of the food, sis?" Red dragon grinned. The woman's eye twitched again and her brother got another wham on the back of his head. "Ow! What's wrong with you? Why do we need to use codenames in this stupid ninjaless land? Not that I'm complaining about being Red dragon. Although, sis, "the super awesome cool crimson dragon from heaven" was way better."

"Ugh, idiot! I told you that name is way to long and fancy." The woman hit her forehead. "Don't call me sis! We might be followed."

"But-"

"Good! Let's go!" Gray scarecrow ordered as he picked up Miyako's bags.

"Hai, Gray scarecrow-kun!" Hazel tree chirped, happy to oblige. Red dragon muttered something about some stupid copynin interrupting him and that he wanted to be team leader, while putting his backpack on his back. Brown bear picked up Miyako and put her on his back. The five of them left the house and headed to the near old train station.

When their train arrived they pulled up the tourist act. They passed Miyako as a just too tired daughter of theirs in front of the guards and got on the train successfully. All they had to do now was travel for half a day in the train to the stop nearest to the middle of the mountains. From there on foot they had to run a day through a secret passageway leading to a mountain near the Leaf village. Then they ran for two days south to Konoha Gakure. They slept for 6 hours a night. They took turns to carry Miyako in the day and watch over her at night.

In the morning on the fifth day they were already in the Leaf village. They were with Miyako in hands reporting for the success of their mission to an old man with white and red robes and a hat in the same colours with the symbol for fire 'Hi' on it.

"We had no difficulties in bringing Nagahoshi Miyako here, hokage-sama. There were no enemy ninjas, no assassins, no attacks or trouble. There was a thunder storm but we got on the train before it raged. We've already sent a messaging bird with a letter to inform Okada Azumi that the girl has arrived here safely. Miyako should wake up soon." the gray haired masked ninja spoke.

"Good work! Please, lay the girl and her things over there. I will explain everything to her when she wakes up." The hokage motioned for Red dragon to put Miyako on the futon not far from his desk. "You three can leave. I need to speak with Hatake Kakashi alone for a moment." the old man said as the three ninjas behind Gray scarecrow walked out. Kakashi watched them leave and then turned to hear out the hokage.

"Kakashi, I'm asking you to lead the genin team with four members in the end of the academy year. You have failed every genin team you've got so far. This way if the four genin team doesn't pass your test, this year's genin will be nine as always."

"Wait. There's never been a four genin team before. Are you enrolling Miyako in the last year class in the Ninja Academy? How do you expect her to learn so much and train her body to exhaustion for three months so she reaches her classmate's level of skill for the graduation exam and the jounin's test? She can't possibly do it. There are students at the academy who have worked hard for years and still can't throw a kunai properly or do a henge." Kakashi tried to reason with the old man. The hokage looked at the sleeping Miyako and said:

"I do not know that child but I knew her parents and Okada-san has spoken good of young Nagahoshi, that she has taken after them in every bit. I respected and believed in her parents and I see no reason not to believe in their child. I will give her a chance. I'm going to arrange for her to be in a four member team. This way if Miyako's not good enough the other three can make up for the team. She will get strong eventually. I gave her parents my word that I'll bring her back to the village and make her a ninja before they died. If she can't make it, next year I'll enroll her in the beginner's class. Besides, Azumi described her as a stubborn quick learner just as her father was."

Kakashi had to agree with the hokage this time. He couldn't read people as well as Sarutobi could. The old man had been hokage for a long time and he knew the people in the village as well as he knew the back of his hand. Because of this he had developed the ability to gain knowledge for a person's personality faster and more accurate than others. When you knew so much people you could familiarize their personality traits to another person and figure them out.

"Then, I'll do it." Kakashi said. "What if they pass my test? You know I'm not going to fail them just because they're four or because Miyako hasn't got enough skill. The larger number they are, the more my test gets harder for them to pass."

"Well, then the genin who passed the jounin's test will be ten." the hokage said with confidence. The two of them glanced at Miyako who shifted in her sleep. "You're free to go. She's going to wake up soon."

"Hai. Sayonara." Kakashi left the room. Sarutobi sat on his chair waiting for the girl to wake up.

The room was light and warm. There were big windows behind a desk and the hokage sitting in his chair. It was early in the morning and the Konoha sky was outlined with gradating colors from dark blue in one horizon to orange pink in the opposite one. The sun was shining brightly in the orange.

Not far away from the desk next to the wall was a dark brown haired girl on a futon. The girl moved slightly and opened her eyes. She sat up and started rubbing them. The girl had slept like a baby. She opened them again and started blinking with disbelief while looking round the room. It looked quite familiar but wasn't she supposed to wake up in her room? Her gaze stopped on an old man in strange robes sitting on a desk.

"Good morning, child." the old man greeted warmly. "Did you sleep well? Oh, excuse my manners. You don't know me. Nagahoshi Miyako, I am the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen." The girl looked at him with a funny bewildered expression. She started smiling widely.

"Nice cosplay costume. You look like the real thing." Miyako remembered something and then started to panic. "Hey wait a minute! I got kidnapped! Where am I? Who are you and why the heck are you cosplaying?" The third looked surprised. The girl looked at him as if he would attack her at any time.

"Cosplay costume? You think I'm lying about my identity. No, no, calm down I'm not going to hurt you. I ordered those four ninjas to bring you here. You were not kidnapped. Your caretaker, Okada Azumi knows you're here. This is your birth place, Konoha Gakure no Sato." Miyako's eyes widened even more then she narrowed them.

"There's no way that's true. How can I believe you? Do you have proof?" she said in a doubting voice.

"The village speaks about itself. Come and see." The hokage got up, walked to the window and looked outside. Miyako carefully got up and went to the window while eyeing Sarutobi from time to time so in case he did anything funny. The girl opened it. There were houses and greenery everywhere, the birds were greeting the sun and there was steam coming from the far hot spring. Miyako recognized other familiar buildings throughout the village, too. There was a high wall surrounding the village. Everything was so Konoha-like. It was too good to be true but Miyako had to admit she was in the Hidden Leaf Village in Fire Country. She was in the ninja world she watched on TV and read in comics. Even more, the very hokage claimed that Miyako was actually born here.

"I'm really not dreaming, am I? This is real. You are real…" Miyako didn't know what to say. After a while her eyes got teary. She looked at the third with glittering eyes and the widest smile she's got. "Thank you!" she said quietly. The girl leaned on the window frame and looked back at the village admiring its beauty once again. Sarutobi looked at the child and smiled. He waited for her to take a good look at her birth place. But Miyako wasn't a person who stood quiet for too long. She was still gazing outside when she decided to voice out some of her questions.

"Are my parents here?" she lifted her head to see better behind a tall building.

"No, they're not. They passed away many years ago. You were about five months old." Sarutobi answered.

"So I'm still an orphan, huh?" Miyako looked sad for a moment but then she thought of something. "Were they ninja?" This time she looked at the hokage, eyes widening with suspense. The old man smiled.

"Yes, they were. They were some of the ninja I respected the most. They were very skillful ninja." Miyako beamed. Now it turns out she's the only daughter of ninja. Or is she the only one?

"Do I have siblings?"

"No, you are an only child." The girl looked disappointed.

"No family at all?"

"Your father had a twin sister but I'm afraid she passed away with them. I'm sorry but you don't have any family alive."

"It's okay. I didn't have before. There's no point in being sad over something you never had." She looked back outside.

"On the contrary, you just had family less time than others. Besides, your relatives aren't the only people who can care for you and make you happy. The world is full of people waiting for a friend." Miyako thought about what he said. He had a point. Here, for example, Hinata had family but wasn't treated well by all of them. Sasuke still had a brother left but he hated him because he was the one who killed the Uchiha clan in the first place. On the other hand, Naruto didn't have any relatives just like her but was pretty happy with just his friends.

"Yeah, you're right." The hokage was the first person in years to cheer up Miyako successfully. "Oh, and I'm sorry for not believing who you were."

"You don't need to apologize for that. It was just a reaction to everything that is happening to you."

"How did my parents die?"

"Twelve years ago a nine tailed demon fox started rampaging the village. Many ninja risked their lives for the village. Your parents were two of them. When I was in the Hokage Tower discussing the damage with the village elders and the council while the Yondaime Hokage fought the fox, they came. They begged us that you could leave the village and then return here when it was safe. They didn't know if they'd survive, if you'd survive, that's why they wanted you far away from that chaos. There is a long passageway that leads to the world you lived in until now. Your parents and very few others knew about it and guarded the secret. The elders, the Yondaime and I knew about it too. Okada Azumi was a dear friend of your parents. She volunteered to take you to the other world. That day your parents died for the village."

"Does that mean my parents were heroes?" Miyako looked at the hokage yet again with a glint in her eyes.

"Yes, they were. They fought fearlessly the demon side by side with the other leaf ninjas and saved many lives. Their names were carved on a stone memorial." Miyako immediately thought of Kakashi's favorite thinking place - the memorial stone in the training grounds where his teammate's name was carved in.

"Cool! I mean, that's nice." The girl corrected herself while rubbing the back of her head. "Umm… why did you bring me here?"

"When your parents asked permission for you to go to a safer place, they also asked for you to return here when you got older. I gave them my word that I'll make that happen. You know, your father lived in your world with his twin sister when he was young, too. They were the first ones to find the passageway. It was in his right to ask of its usage for your safety. You can figure out why your father decided to stay here after he met your mother, right?"

"Yeah I can." Miyako laughed a little then got serious. "Am I going to live in the village?"

"You can stay if you want to. I cannot force you to live here."

Miyako looked at a couple of singing birds on a tree outside. She was put in deep thought. After all, she lived all her life back at the apartment with Okada-san downstairs. She had school in the morning with strange Shun, shy Tsuki, fun Taiki, sleepy Yasu and oblivious Haru. They always made her day. Who was gonna encourage Tsuki, cool down Shun, wake up Yasu, give ideas for pranks and joke around with Taiki? Who was gonna keep a leash on ego queen Yazuki or make her oh-so-cool cousin Taka lose his cool with a prank? And lastly who would make sure Haru came to school on time? Help him up when he trips or correct his table manners? Who would copy his homework or listen to his version of the lesson? Who would be his dark haired girl...? Who would share her love with him...? Could she abandon her life and start out a new one? Yeah, she may meet the characters of her favorite anime but is it worth leaving her old life? Something clicked inside her head. The girl left the birds be and looked at Sarutobi, confidence and hope shining in her eyes.

"Can I have some time to see if I fit in here or something? Can I stay here for a while and after some time decide if I stay permanently?" Miyako seemed like she was asking for something really dear to her. The third smiled warmly.

"Of course you can. Is a year enough?" The girl nodded excitedly and smiled widely.

"But where would I live? I didn't bring any clothes with me either." She became worried.

"The bag Azumi asked you to bring has some of your belongings in it. I've arranged for you to live in your parents' apartment. There's a chunin, a middle class ninja, waiting outside to show you to it."

"Really? Thank you so much!" Miyako smiled again. She thought about something again. "Am I allowed to know who the ninja that brought me here were?" '_I was sure one of them was Kakashi._' She pointed out in her mind. She had the feeling that mentioning that there was a cartoon about ninja from this world would be a bad idea. First everyone would freak out that they're being watched and then they'd blame her. That or they wouldn't believe her and think that she's insane.

"I don't think I can. It's confidential. Oh, I almost forgot. I have also made arrangements for you train as a ninja, if you wish to follow in your parent's footsteps, that is…" Miyako's eyes widened. This was too much. She can even be a kunoichi. What's the point of thinking about it?

"Yes, yes, I do!" She started jumping excitedly. "When do I start?"

"Calm down! You have to go through the Ninja Academy first. You can be enrolled in the last year class with kids your age. There are three months left until the end of the year. You'll have to train intensively and study a lot to catch up with your classmates. In the end of the year there will be an exam that determines the students who have enough skill to become genin, the lowest class ninja. If you don't make it you'll go to the beginner's class. So you can still become a ninja."

"Okay, I'll do it. I know it's going to be hard work but I'll make it for sure." The girl said with confidence.

"Then it's settled. You begin today. The chunin outside will be your sensei, Umino Iruka. He will show you where you'll live and explain to you what you'll need." Miyako nodded happily. She went to get the blue sack and her schoolbag that were next to the futon. The girl went up the door and turned to Sarutobi just as she touched the handle.

"Thank you for everything!" Miyako beamed and left the office.

Hiruzen smiled on his own, throwing his gaze at one of the drawers in his desk. Opening it, he pulled out a yearbook of sorts, opening it to a certain page, a page with one of his students – Jiraya and his first batch of fresh genin. One of the students could easily be mistaken for a longer haired Naruto, only, it was a kouhai of the third hokage's – the fourth, the second boy in the photo was plum and bald but non recognizable and the third boy… no wait, it was a girl! A brown eyed girl with tied up dark hair, if only she'd make a happier face than the stoic one she was adorning and if only she let her hair down she would have been a splitting image of Miyako's…

"Nagahoshi Yui…"

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Please review.**


	2. Fitting In

**Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Fitting In**

"Hello! I'm Umino Iruka. And you must be Nagahoshi Miyako, right?" said a man in a ninja uniform in his twenties with a high brown ponytail and a horizontal scar on the bridge of his nose. He was smiling at a twelve year old girl with darker hair and a wider smile than his. "Here, let me carry your bag. It looks too big for you."

"No, thank you. I'm going to be a ninja and ninja must be able to lift heavier weights than this!" The girl lifted the big sack she had over her head to show that she could handle it. She almost faltered so she put the bag back on her shoulder and sighed with relief. "I still need to build up some more strenght, huh?" Miyako looked with her big dark brown eyes at a sweatdropping Iruka. They started walking through the corridors of the hokage tower.

"Maybe, but if you work hard, you'll make it for sure. I assume hokage-sama has informed you that I'll be teaching you at the Ninja Academy. It's pretty hard but don't worry. The things that you will give you difficulties in the beginning are learning to mold chakra and catching up with everything you've missed. After that you'll study and train on a regular basis like the others. I think I can assign a tutor for you. She has the best scores in class on tests and has a first rate mind. She's also very friendly. You'll like her." Iruka kept ranting on about his smartest student.

They were already outside and Iruka was leading her through the main road. Miyako was turning her head in all directions to take in every detail – from where the trees grew to the villagers who got up early and were opening their shops. She was enjoying every sight of the village. It was one thing to see it in an anime or manga and another to be actually walking on Konoha's streets. After two blocks they went left and turned to a four storied building on the right.

"Well, here we are. Your apartment is on the fourth floor. Here's the key. You can go up and unpack. I'll come back here in 30 minutes to give you some things you'll need and then I'll show you where the academy is. Sayonara." Iruka told the girl and gave her a small metal key. He waved and turned to leave.

Miyako was finally on the fourth floor. She was excited to see what her parents' apartment looked like. To see where she had supposedly spent the first six months of her life. She carefully put the key in, unlocked and opened the door. It was different from the dusty but preserved apartment of a young couple with a six month baby from twelve years ago that she expected. It was a small flat that looked like it was recently cleaned up. Miyako figured that the hokage had given someone orders for the place to be adjusted for her to live in.

'_How'd he know I'd accept living here? I swear, sometimes I think the old man has foresight!_' the girl wandered as she went in and closed the door behind her. There were four rooms and a balcony in the apartment. Miyako was in a small corridor that led to a living area and kitchen on the right with frame doors. In the corridor near the wall stood a small shoe stand and a full-sized mirror next to it. The girl left her luggage and coat on the hanger next to the mirror and took off her sneakers. She entered the living room and looked around the kitchen. Everywhere the floors were wooden and the walls were creamy. In the middle of the living room was a beige couch over a brown carpet. On the wall in front of it was a cupboard with a small old TV set and a bookcase with several scrolls and books. Behind the sofa was an oval wooden table with six wooden chairs. Behind the table was the kitchen area. Miyako went in and quickly found a small fridge.

"Finally! I'm starving!" the exclaimed, quickly opening it. Something anyone who had slept for four days would do."Empty?" Miyako fell on her knees and yelled "Nooo!" with her hands raised in the air. Obviously, the fridge was empty and the girl had to starve a little longer. She looked around for other food containers. There were a couple of counters with a microwave on one of them and an oven in the small kitchen. Miyako looked through all the counters and even the oven for anything edible. There were only some plates, dishes and other kitchen utencils. When she didn't find anything even in the freezer she decided to eat later and take a look at the rest of the humble apartment.

Opposite the living room door frame was a sliding door, leading to a small bathroom with a wooden bathtub adorning a shower and curtains, a toilet and a sink with a mirror cabinet. Facing the entrance was another sliding door. The thing about it was it wouldn't open. It had a little rectangular paper sheet stuck to the frame with the kanji for 'Seal' on it.

'_What the…? You're kidding me! Why can't I get it __slid__ open? This is sure to be my parent's room. The old man probably locked it on purpose! Ugh!_' Miyako thought while this time trying to take off the seal. '_Man, am I gonna yell to him later for this…!_' Fuming, the girl crossed her arms and proceeded to the last room next to the bathroom – her bedroom.

Miyako has many favorite quotes. Very few of them she didn't hear from "Naruto" or any other anime. There's one she'd always listen to, no matter the occasion. "Leave the best for last." In this case it was her new bedroom. Any person would rush to his bedroom right after coming home. It's the place where you sleep, relax, think… The one room where its aura allows you to be alone with your thoughts and sort out your life… This is the sole reason everyone considers his bedroom his favorite room… and the reason why Miyako would chose to see it last.

Miyako went through the last sliding door and stood in the middle of… a small plain bedroom. The bed was in the far left corner opposite the door and had a window over it. It was wooden with white sheets. Next to it was a sidetable with an old alarm clock showing 7:00 AM with its hands. By the sliding door was a wooden closet. Next to the bottom of the bed were a wooden desk and a chair. On the right was a glass sliding door with a balcony visible through it. Miyako was kinda disappointed at the plain compact room but it calmed her and had a warm aura. It had to do since it had all the necessities, after all. She brought her luggage in and started to stuff her wardrobe with clothes.

'_I still can't believe how Okada-san managed to take my stuff without me noticing…_' she thought when she was done emptying the large sack and started with her backpack. '_I don't think I'll need these for a long time._' The girl took out her schoolbooks and put them in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. After that she took out a sketchbook, color pencils, pens, rubbers, some drawings, posters and manga pages she didn't even know she kept in her backpack since she had hardly emptied it. She thought about putting them on her walls.

'_Maybe that's not such a good idea. It'd look odd if I had posters and drawings on my wall of something that hasn't happened or of people I haven't met… yet…_' She looked at a comic page of a fifteen year old Naruto and Sakura holding bells in front of Kakashi's masked face and a page of Sasuke looking shocked at his "finaly" dead brother. There was a drawing of team 8 in combat mode and in her sketchbook were some drawings with a younger and older version of each Naruto character. She had posters of each team and one with all the demon hosts, Naruto and Gaara included. She put them with her schoolbooks and closed the drawer.

She was ready so she went to see if Iruka was coming from the terrace. As she expected, she came upon a near perfect view of the Hokage Monument behind a couple of trees and houses neer her building. It was so beautiful… so real… a dream come true. She was looking at the four faces carved in the mountain right above the Hokage Tower. The only thing missing was the Fifth's face, Tsunade, which she already got used to see in Shippuuden and the manga. Miyako remembered that the old granny had become hokage after the Third died but now he was still alive which meant the Naruto characters haven't participated in the final round of the chuunin exam yet. The girl began to think about what time frame she's was in.

'_Wait… If I'm twelve and if I was six months old when the Kyuubi attack happened on October 10th 12 y__ea__rs ago, then Naruto is __twelve, since he was born then,__ and the others are __also __around __his years__... Then they're last year in the academy and Iruka's their sensei… Now, I'm also going to be his student__ with the last years__… __So t__his means I'm going to be in their class!'__ S_he beamed at that thought as she heard the doorbell. While looking at the Monument she must've missed to see that her sensei was coming. She ran at the front door and let in Iruka who was carrying bags.

"I got you some food. You must be hungry…" As he said "food", Miyako grabbed the bags off his hands and ran in the kitchen. He looked at her confused for a moment but then followed her.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm starving! Wanna have breakfast with me?" the girl asked while getting out stuff and putting them either in the fridge or the cupboards. Iruka sat on the table watching as the girl bounced happily at the sight of the milk and cereal box in one of the bags.

"No, thank you. I ate. I see you're done unpacking. I brought you some equipment that you'll need for training and battle." He pointed to the last bag that Miyako was looking in with interest. She got out a pair of blue sandals. "Those are…" Iruka started.

"Ninja sandals! Cool!" The girl sat down and grinned while putting them on and wriggling her free toes. She got up and dug into the bag again.

"Yeah… How did you…" Iruka tried to ask, confusion taking over him again.

"Holsters! A back pouch! Kunai! Shuriken! Exploding tags! Makibishi! Smoke, gas and light bombs!" Miyako yelled louder and louder with each thing she got out.

"Never mind…" The chunin sighed and continued explaining. "Those scrolls and books on the bookcase are from me. You'll need to study from them. I also got you some training outfits which are made of more durable materials. It is comfortable, allows freedom of movement and is also suitable for the village's climate. I hope you like the colors."

Miyako took out the last things in the bag: a fishnet shirt with blue lined endings, a green T-shirt with a blue collar and sleeves and loose dark gray shorts. The girl looked at them stunned. She remembered her drawing from school. It was a similar outfit. She hugged it and ran in her bedroom. Iruka looked dully as the girl disappeared from sight.

'_Kids and their energy…_' he figured.

A few moments later Miyako came back dressed in the training outfit with the kunai and shuriken holsters on her right low thigh, the back pouch hitched on a belt of the same beige color round her waist and her ninja sandals. It fitted her just fine. The fishnet shirt felt a little breezy on her but she liked it.

"Thanks! I love the colors!" The girl looked at her sensei grinning happily. Then she proceeded to make breakfast.

"Umm… Iruka-sensei… who was the girl that was going to tutor me?" she asked as she sat on the table with a cereal bowl and started digging in.

"Haruno Sakura. She's very capable and you'd get along with her. You know, you're both the same sign, Aries…"

"Cough! Cough!" Miyako tried to gasp while she was eating but choked in the process. '_Sakura! I should've known… a first rate mind… __top scores on tests…__ Why didn't I figure it out earlier? Man, am I dumb!_' she mentally gave herself a facepalm.

"Are you okay, Miyako?" Iruka calmly asked. He looked with a perplexed face at her for the fifth time this morning.

"Yeah! Cough! I just choked on something… Cough! I'm fine, I'm fine…" the girl put away her bowl, done eating and went to get her backpack. "Sensei, do I need to take something to the academy?" She stopped in midway.

"All you need for the day lessons is there really…"

"Hai, then I'm ready!"

"Good. Let's go." They got outside and started walking. "The Academy is actually right next to the Hokage Tower…" Iruka started his rant again while Miyako continued taking in the village sights on the way…

~The Ninja Academy~

"Good morning, students!" Iruka came in his classroom and stood in front of the class.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei!" the soon-to-be shinobi replied in a monotone. Some were even yawning.

"We have a new student! Miyako, come in!" As soon as he said that a brown haired girl entered the room and stood by his side. Everyone drew their attention to her. "Come on. Introduce yourself." Iruka encouraged her.

'_Introduce myself?_' Miyako thought while looking at everyone staring at her. '_Now what? What should I say?__ I want to look cool so they like me…_' She slightly tensed. She looked around the classroom. There were three rows with three desks a row and three seats a desk. Miyako recognized some people.

On the left row in the back desk on a strategic place nearest to the back door sat a raven haired boy with his hands folded in front of his mouth looking annoyed. He was surrounded by most of the girls in class. Two of them were next to him and three on the front desk. Miyako seemed to be the only thing that was keeping their attention away from him. Although probably just for a few seconds…

'_Sasuke…_'

Two of the females on the desk in front of Sasuke were sitting away from eachother, making their dislike for eachother obvious. The one on the left was with a long blond ponytail and the other on the right with long pink hair adorning a red ribbon.

'Ino and Sakura…'

There was a boy with dark brown hair in a high ponytail laying on his desk and looking at Miyako with immense boredom and little interest. He was on the right row in the middle desk right next to the windows.

'Shikamaru…'

A hazel haired overweight boy with a scarf who was trying to secretly eat something from under the desk sat next to Shikamaru.

'Choji…'

A brown haired animal like boy with a white dog on his head was next to Choji.

'Kiba and Akamaru…'

On the desk in front of them in the left sat a dark short haired girl with pupil-less lavender eyes who was looking at Miyako meekly.

'Hinata…'

Next to her was a boy Miyako didn't know and by the window was a tymid looking brown headed boy with dark glasses.

'Shino…'

In the back of the right row next to the window sat a blond boy with green goggles who wasn't paying attention at all. He was looking out the window with his head rested on his palm. He was all alone on his desk.

'Naruto…'

Looking at that lonely figure gave Miyako some courage. She decided to cheer the boy up from his gloomy state.

"Hey, everyone! My name is Nagahoshi Miyako! On the outside I may seem like a harmless and weak idiot but I'm going to become a tough kunoichi! So watch out world because I'm going to kick ass!" Miyako yelled confident with her hands on her hips. She then grinned widely and thought if it was good enough. It was almost the same line she said in Art class back in her world. She liked it and it was the only thing that came to her mind as an awesome and fun introduction… mind the obnoxiousness…

It was good enough alright… good enough to get on people's nerves for its resemblance to the words of a certain loud mouthed blond kid. Most of the class became annoyed (or more annoyed than they were). The girls started whispering something disapprovingly. Iruka twitched a smile with a sweatdrop on the back of his head.

Not everybody were so harsh. Hinata on the front desk awed and looked amazed at the new girl's actions. When she realized how she was reacting, the shy girl sank in her seat and blushed slightly. Shino just raised an eyebrow and Shikamaru behind him murmured something under his nose to Choji and looked at the clouds outside. Naruto on the last desk drew his attention away from the window to look at the person who had yelled. Wasn't he the only one who would do something so "bold and annoying"? He looked surprised at a girl who was grinning almost in the same manner as he would. Naruto grew wide eyed and followed the girl with his gaze.

"Alright. Since Miyako is new and needs to catch up with the material we've been learning, I've chosen a tutor for her." Iruka brought the class' attention back to him. "Haruno Sakura, stand up, please!"

"Hai, Iruka-sensei!" Sakura stood up and still like the honor student she was.

"Cough… nerd… cough!" Ino mused making Sakura clench a fist and glare while her inner self stormed colorful words to her ex-friend.

"Well, Sakura, you will visit Miyako every day after lessons for two hours to help her, starting today. I've given her the necessary books and scrolls. Are you willing to do it?" Iruka interrupted the silent brawl.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I uuh... promised to help Ino at the flower shop." Sakura quickly thought up an excuse. She didn't exactly want to tutor a loudmouth girl who got herself on the bad side of almost the whole class as a loser on the first day.

"You did?" Ino perplexed. Sakura glared daggers at her again. "Oh, yeah. Now I remember. You said you'd come by every day after classes." The blond tried to benefit from the situation as Sakura fake-smiled at Iruka and nodded her head.

'_Typical Sakura and Ino…_' Miyako caught on what they were doing and twitch smiled.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll choose somebody else." Iruka got successfully fooled and motioned for the girl to sit. Sakura sat down and continued glaring at a grinning Ino. Sensei took a note pad out of his desk and looked through it. Miyako figured he had notes about the performance of each student.

"Then… Uchiha Sasuke. That way Miyako can be helped with training as well. Sasuke, you have free time, don't you?" Iruka said as Sasuke stood up, put his hands in his pockets and murmured something that sounded like "hn, whatever" while looking more annoyed. The girls in class gasped at how lucky Miyako got and started whispering again. She was going to live every girl's dream. Two whole hours per day plus training with Uchiha Sasuke 'till the end of the year! Sakura and Ino immediately regretted what they did.

'_You have to be kidding me! Sakura as a tutor is so much better than the angsty self-proclaimed avenger jerk! How will I survive through the boredom and no social contact?_' Miyako had completely different thoughts. '_And now the girls are all gonna hate me…!_' She cried inwardly.

"Iruka-sensei! I'll tutor Miyako-chan! I just talked with Ino-chan and she said that I could let go of the promise to help our dear fellow classmate." Sakura shot up from her seat and outvoiced the murmurs.

"Y-yeah! Miyako-chan would get along better with someone her own gender." Ino joined.

Miyako tried to suppress her laughter at their sight. They looked like it was a matter of life and death with the way they were leaning forward on the desk with widened eyes. Iruka looked at the two and sweatdropped again.

"It's settled then. Sakura will help Miyako study." he said. The two girls sat back down and sighed. They got rid of the threat looming over their precious protégé. They may be rivals but they could work perfectly together for the greater good. In this case, a Sasuke who wasn't tutoring a girl who would be with him most of his free time.

"But she still needs help with training so Sasuke will tutor her as well for another two hours after Sakura. The three of you come to me at lunch so we can talk about a schedule suitable for her." Iruka said as the girls glared at Miyako. Sasuke crossed his arms with a "tch" and sat back down.

'_Just my luck…_' Miyako thought getting angsty herself.

"Miyako, you can take a seat now. There's room in the back." Iruka motioned towards Naruto's desk. Miyako smiled at that and made her way up there. The blond on the other hand looked through the window again not turning his attention to her.

'_She's probably going to sit away from me…_' he thought starting to get gloomy again.

"Hey, I'm Miyako. What's your name?" Miyako asked the boy even though she knew the answer. Naruto turned to her shocked. Was she actually sitting next to him?

"Who? Me?" he tried to make sure she was talking to him.

"If the windows can't talk, then yeah." She joked. Naruto immediately brightened up and grinned sheepishly but something came up in his mind and his face dropped a little.

"Didn't your parents tell you not to talk to me…? You'll get in trouble…" he muttered, sadness evident in his downcast eyes, making Miyako's heart hurt a little. She kinda expected him to doubt people who he didn't know to approach him so easily and so kindly.

"They can't tell me anything…" The girl's expression also faltered a bit, thinking about her lack of parents or anyone else to reprimand her for that matter. Although she would be really disappointed in them if they badmouthed Naruto because of something that was caged inside him. Her smiled returned almost instantly. "Besides, who cares about what old farts have to say, you're surely an awesome person!" At that Naruto lifted his head a bit startled and beamed with slightly pink cheeks.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" he said almost too loud.

"Can you two be quiet so we can start the lesson?" Iruka-sensei yelled.

"Gomen!" Naruto and Miyako said at the same time. They looked at eachother and grinned.

"Today we'll be learning about different types of genjutsu…" Iruka started as the students took out some paper and a pen to take notes.

"Nice to meet you, Naruto, let's talk later..." Miyako whispered and Naruto nodded in agreement and looked back out the window, this time with a cheerfull smile.

The Academy schedule seemed different than that at Miyako's former school. There were fewer classes which lasted longer. Miyako wasn't used to keeping her attention on something for ninety minutes. Now she understood why Shikamaru went fast asleep right after the lesson started, although that talked bad about Yasu's endurance back at her world. It would've been torture if Iruka-sensei wasn't talking about genjutsu. It was way more interesting than Math or English. Would you rather solve a "fun" math problem or write down notes about different types of genjutsu? You don't even have to think about it before answering…

"Does anyone know how to dispel genjutsu?" Iruka asked as Sakura's hand shot up almost automatically like it did the last ten times sensei had asked a question. Ino snorted receiving a glare from her ex-friend. Miyako looked at her and tried to suppress laughter. Naruto watched the pink haired girl with shining eyes thinking she was "oh, so smart and beautiful". Shikamaru knew the answer but was probably too lazy to raise his hand or do any kind of movement at that moment. Sasuke didn't think it was going to benefit him much to talk, maybe he was also a bit lazy. The important part was that he knew. It didn't matter if he showed it. Enough said. Besides, Itachi didn't know any low level genjutsu… he knew high level ones.

"Does anyone else know?" Iruka tried to give someone else a chance. Miyako got bored and waved her hand up. Iruka looked at her direction and raised an eyebrow. The students all turned their attention to who Iruka was gaping at. Sakura glared daggers at said person. "Miyako?" Iruka exclaimed. The girl stood up.

"A genjutsu can be dispelled with "Genjutsu Kai" meaning "Illusionary Technique Release". It is an "E" rank Ninjutsu. The user will perform the Tiger hand seal while focusing his chakra and say "Kai" to dispell the effect. "Kai" also works if the user touches another person using the Tiger hand seal." Miyako said loud and clear and sat back down content of herself. Everyone looked at her, astonished with dropped mouths, save for Sasuke, Shikamaru and Shino. They just raised an eyebrow. It was too easy... as a Naruto fan, she had memorized almost everything.

"Correct! Where did you learn that?" Iruka broke the silence. Miyako tensed. Now what? She forgot she wasn't supposed to know that…

_'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You just had to __be a know it all__, didn't you?_' Miyako mentally banged her head against a wall.

'Click!' A light bulb went on in her head.

"I looked through some of the scrolls and books you left me. I was curious what they were about… Heheh…" Giving an awkward laugh, Miyako quickly lied hoping that there really was something about dispelling genjutsu in the scrolls or books.

"Well, I'm glad that you have an interest in ninja techniques." Iruka brushed it off as Miyako sighed with relief. She was off the hook. "I just hope the rest of you will take example from Miyako and study. It's her first day here and she probably already knows more than most of you!" Miyako could sense Sakura pouting from her seat. That's what she gets for not wanting to teach her at the beginning and making her put up with emo kid!

Recess came quickly. Most of the girls turned to Sasuke and watched him dreamily as he read in his head the notes he took in class. The others started chattering. Naruto and Miyako following their example.

"Whoa, you're smart! I couldn't memorize all those details…" Naruto half yelled and smiled widely at Miyako.

"Nah, it's probably just more interesting to me than it is to you." She said, feeling a little guilty and looked down at the boys and Hinata in front of them. "Would you introduce me to your friends?"

"Uh… sure!" Naruto thought briefly if he would call them friends. "That's Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, Hinata and Shino!" He pointed at each of them. "Ano sa, ano sa, guys, this is Miyako-chan!" He stood up and waved his hands to get their attention.

"We know who she is, Naruto. She introduced herself. We're not deaf." Shikamaru said turning his head lazily at them.

"With Naruto's shouting all the time we might as well become deaf soon! Right, Akamaru?" Kiba jiked as Akamaru barked in agreement.

"HEY!" Naruto pouted and sat back down. Kiba turned to Miyako and leaned on his desk.

"Nice to meet 'ya!" Kiba added, smirking at the girl. Miyako sweatdropped and waved at his direction.

"You're one to talk! You're almost as loud as him!" Choji joined the conversation while taking a bag of pork flavored chips from under his desk. "Want some?" He offered Miyako to have a chip which she kindly refused.

"Y-yes, K-kiba-kun, it's not n-nice to talk about Naruto-kun like t-that!" A slightly blushing Hinata stuttered from behind him trying to defend Naruto. She and Shino slightly nodded their heads at Miyako's direction as to say hi.

"Nice to meet you guys, too." Miyako smiled at them as a shadow loomed over her. "Hey… Who smells like strawberries?" Miyako asked sniffing the air. She turned and saw Sakura with hands on her hips and Ino who had folded hers in front of her chest. "Hi! Nice to meet you… umm… Sakura, right? You're my tutor!" Miyako started a little nervous.

"Yeah. And that's Ino." She pointed to her ex-friend. "Never mind that… How do you do it?" Sakura leaned in Miyako's face making the darker girl pull hers back.

"Do what?" Miyako stared stupidly as she didn't seem to get Sakura's point.

"You read something once in a scroll this morning and you remember it perfectly?" Sakura drew back and waved her hands in the air. "That's not humanly possible!"

"And believe me, she invented all types of inhuman studying…" Ino added smirking and Sakura shot her a glare.

"Actually we're curious about that, too." Shikamaru yawned from the side as the others nodded.

"Well, I guess I have a photographic memory… and I'm interested in ninja stuff…" Miyako said and grinned shrugging. She had to find a way to get out of this situation. "Hey, are you guys best friends or something? You're always together…" Miyako tried to change the subject by making the two girls confused. Labeling people and asking them what they feel always worked as a distraction.

"What? No way!" The two yelled in unison and turned their backs to eachother.

"Then why are you here?" Miyako asked Ino who didn't seem to fit in the situation. Why should she care about Sakura's reputation as a know-it-all?

"I'm here with her only because we have the same goal!" Ino retorted waving a finger.

"Which is…?" Miyako gave them a dull look again.

"You see that tall dreamy dark haired guy over there?" Sakura started as she and Ino looked with hearts in their eyes at Sasuke.

"Don't get any ideas while he trains you!" Ino said snapping out of la-la land.

"Better yet, don't touch him!" Sakura finished. You could barely see him. He was surrounded by most of the girls in class (and some that Miyako was sure weren't from this class) and he looked waaay annoyed. Who wouldn't be if your only way out of there, the back door, was blocked by fanatic females?

"There's a cute guy in there? I can barely see anything from all those fangirls and that angsty emo kid." Miyako said as the boys sniggered after they heard what she called the mighty Uchiha prodigy. She didn't really mean it. She just couldn't help dissing good looking jerks. And if Sasuke was really emo, "Naruto" would be a lot more amusing than it was...

"What did you call just him?" Inner Sakura started leaking out.

"You know, Sakura, I heard emos are cute, understanding and great boyfriends…" Ino said as she thought about it with a finger on her chin, her blond nature surfacing.

"Yeah, and they write cheesy poems, sit in the dark crying all day thinking if they're emo enough and say that no one understands them, listen to depressing musing with sucky lyrics while they sing along with a broken voice, wear women's pants 'cuz men's are too big for their scrawny butts, say that there's nothing wrong with kissing a guy or two, wear mascara and black eyeliner like fags, gel their hair a lot to stick up or down their face in odd shapes and cut their wrists at breakfast, lunch and dinner." Miyako said while doing a rapid cutting movement with one hand on the other's wrist. At this, the guys couldn't hold it any longer and broke down laughing as Hinata became worried if they were okay. Sakura and Ino fumed and turned red.

"Please… stop it…! I… can't… breathe…" Naruto said in between fits of guffaw and Miyako stopped "cutting" herself and grinned.

"Sasuke doesn't wear eyeliner or mascara!" Sakura shrieked.

"So you don't object that he gells his hair up?" The black head mused.

"Though it might suit him if he enhanced his look with some eyeliner…" Ino calmed down a bit and wandered out loud. Now Miyako broke down laughing.

"Naruto… help… I… can't… breathe… either…" she said and laughed even harder. Ino pulled a rampaging Sakura back to their seat when the bell rang. This didn't stop the pink haired girl to yell obscenities at the laughing group along the way.

"Nice one, Miyako!" Kiba said when they recovered from their fun and Iruka came in for the next class.

During period the group proved to Miyako that they knew how to amuse, too. No one managed to beat Shikamaru in a staring (or sleeping) contest. Kiba could hold his breath the longest and Choji could stuff over fifty chips in his mouth! They tried to find out the only embarrassing thing that didn't make Hinata blush. Talking about it in front of her didn't help much. They even persuaded Naruto not to talk for a while in a non talking contest. He bore only ten minutes, though… followed by a sarcastic remark by Miyako. Then Kiba laughed, Choji said it counted as talking, Shikamaru 'politely' told them to be effin' quiet so he can have some damn sleep and Hinata innocently asked what they were playing. Shino won... yay... surprise...

Lunch neared and Miyako had to say bye to the guys and Hinata for a while to go and talk with Iruka, Sakura and Sasuke. Oh, joy… When the bell rang everyone started walking out and Sakura and Sasuke went to Iruka's desk. Miyako came shortly after.

"Could you three wait here for a minute? I need to get something from the teacher's lounge." Iruka excused himself and went out.

"Yup!"

"Hai, sensei!"

"Hn…"

Miyako stood on the left fidgeting with the rims of her shorts' pokets and looking out the window. Sakura, in the middle, glanced from time to time at her crush with hands behind her back and cutely blushed a little after each time. Sasuke stood still on Sakura's right, arms crossed, looking down in one spot, deep in thought.

"Look, Sakura-chan, I'm sorry if what I said earlier made you angry. I thought it would be funny. Ino-chan didn't mind much… Can we be friends?" Miyako broke the silence. She didn't want to be on Sakura's bad side if she was going to her teacher. Though, at the begining of the series, she hated Sakura and thought she was an annoying fangirl, she came to understand and even like her.

"You could've thought about if you should've ever said that! I'm not going to forgive you for what you said…" She folded her arms and Miyako hung her head low. "…but…" Miyako recovered. "…we can still be friends." Sakura smiled as Miyako brightened up. Sasuke listened to their conversation with his left ear but kept looking at one spot on the floor. Then he closed his eyes going in his own world, managing his own thoughts. After a while Miyako got bored and decided to annoy Sasuke. Not that it would be hard but it sure would be fun.

"Did he fall asleep while standing or something?" Miyako went in front of the dark boy and leaned forward to look under his dark bangs. He didn't move. He just stood there with closed eyes and hands in his pockets. At the begining of the "Naruto" anime, Miyako was also a fangirl of his, then she hated him, then she didn't care and now she kinda understood him. But sometimes she couldn't bare his stuck-up attitude. "I think he really is sleeping…" She said quietly so she wouldn't wake him up. She decided not to annoy him. He looked so calm and peaceful...

Sakura flinched.

"Hey! You're too close! Get away from Sasuke-kun!" She shrieked. This made Sasuke's eyes shoot open and meet big round twinkling dark brown female orbs with a black outline staring back at his nearly black ones.

"Ne... his eyes are kinda cute even without eyeliner…" Miyako said outloud as Sasuke snapped out of it and realized how close the girl was and frantically step back a few steps. He quickly returned to his cool self and glared at the two girls.

"You two are annoying." He announced indifferently, causing Sakura to turn into stone, looking awestruck, heartbroken even...

"Sue us!" Miyako said with a smirk and closed eyes as she straightened up and folded her arms in front of her chest. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. This wasn't the usual remark he would get from a girl. The "you're annoying" phrase usually shut them up like it did Sakura just now. She would be difficult… if she even liked him…

Miyako opened her big eyes and stuck her tongue out at Sasuke. Sakura recovered and yelled at Miyako. The door opened and the girl quieted as Iruka-sensei came in. They talked about the studying and training schedule they had to make Miyako follow.

Miyako didn't have time to get something to eat during lunch so Naruto gave her half of his makeshift sandwich. In exchange she told him what happened with her, Sasuke and Sakura.

Classes ended. Miyako and Naruto were now by the Academy's entrance with her overreacting in pretending to get heartbroken while saying goodbye to Naruto. He played along and they hugged while yelling false cries.

"Naruto-kun, don't leave me! Uwaaah! How will I survive without yoou? I'll get boored!" Miyako yelled with the back of her left hand touching her forehead and her right arm around Naruto's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Miyako-chan! But alas we have to part 'till tomorrow! Why are you so cruel, world? Why? Uwaaah!" Naruto yelled and got on his knees waving hands up in the air. Miyako followed him down and gave him a manly hug again while wailing cries.

"Are you done yet?" An annoyed voice asked from behind them. Since Sakura and Sasuke both had to go to Miyako's sooner or later, she convinced them to go together right after school. Sakura agreed immediately. Sakura + spending time with Sasuke = a happy Sakura. Sasuke didn't have anything better to do so he didn't mind coming two hours early. Besides, that way he wouldn't have to hide so his fangirls wouldn't be able to follow him to his apartment. Miyako was just evil enough to take advantage of that.

"One more time and we're done." Miyako got out of character for a while and winked to the waiting Sasuke and Sakura. Then both her and Naruto started jumping up and down while hugging yelling "How, dare you, separate us, cruel world, uwaaah!" at the top of their lungs. Sasuke and Sakura were forced to plug their ears amd one could faintly hear a shout from their classroom that sounded like Iruka-sensei groaning in despair that they wouldn't cap their holes for one minute.

"Can't Naruto come along if it's so hard for you two to leave eachother?" Sakura succeeded in shutting them up.

"Don't give them ideas, Sakura. Now the dobe's gonna tag along." Sasuke mentioned a bit too late.

"Yatta! Can I come?" Naruto brightened up with stars in his eyes.

"Yay! You can come!" Miyako yelled jumping up and down again.

"I wonder how your parents will let in another loudmouth in your apartment…" Sakura commented changing the mood when she mentioned parents. Miyako hung her head low. Naruto looked aside in deep thought. Sasuke "tch"-ed with closed eyes and also turned his head aside.

"I don't have any to worry about." Miyako retorted indifferently and started walking ahead.

"Oh… sorry…" Sakura said as she and the boys followed Miyako. She decided to change the subject. "How far away do you live?"

"Not much." Miyako said and they were already walking down the main street.

"Ano sa, ano sa, I live down the street!" Naruto went next to her grinning and pointed ahead.

"Really? How far?" Miyako asked smiling. She knew he lived somewhere near Ichiraku's but it wasn't mentioned neither in the manga nor the anime where exactly.

"Waay down. It's a big building with an orange roof. I live on the last floor. You can't miss it!" He said while forming a big object with his hands and pointing to its top. "There's a ramen stand after it! Ichiraku has the best ramen in the village, dattebayo!"

"Then we should go eat there together sometime, right?" Miyako turned back at Sakura and Sasuke.

"Yeah, we should! Right, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura sang the last part and looked at her crush. She didn't seem to realize they were talking about a ramen stand. It mattered more that she'd get to sit next to Sasuke and eat with him.

"Whatever…" Sasuke muttered as he tried to avoid eye contact.

"So we're going there after Sasuke-teme's training, right?" Naruto shot a fist up in the air.

Sakura nodded, Sasuke shrugged and shot a glare at him for the 'teme' part.

"Allright!" Miyako yelled.

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**Please review! You know it means the world!**

**P.S. Thanks for the awesome first review****s****! I hope I can really make this a great story!**


	3. The Triangular Theory of Love

**Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.**

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**Chapter 3**

**The Triangular Theory of Love**

"Yawn! This is so boring, 'ttebayo! Can't you teach something more interesting?"

"For the third time, Naruto, no! Iruka-sensei said we have to start with the basics. You're lacking at that area so you should listen, too. But if you're so bored then why not go find Sasuke-kun? He said he was going to take a walk but it's been half an hour now. I'm starting to get worried."

"Figures you'd be, Sakura… Besides, Naruto, you don't have to endure this. She's teaching me, not you, remember?"

"Fine, Miyako-chan, fine… I'm going… *murmur* stupid Sasuke *murmur*"

"What was that?"

"Ara... n-nothing, Sakura-chan!"

It was mid-afternoon as Sakura and Miyako were sitting across eachother on the living room table in Miyako's apartment. There were scrolls and books on the table from which Sakura showed pictures and diagrams as she explained and read about chakra, basic ninja training and techniques. About half an hour ago Sasuke got bored and made an excuse to leave for a while. After looking around the apartment a dozen of times Naruto tried listening to what Sakura was talking about but eventually got bored, too. Miyako on the other hand was finding Sakura's lesson fascinating. After all, ninja stuff was the only thing she was interested in and one of the few things she could keep her attention on.

"So can one transfer his chakra to another person?" Miyako asked.

"It is possible but it needs much concentration and chakra control. And you shouldn't give the other person too much or he might not be able to handle it." Sakura explained.

"Well, duh! I wouldn't want to overload him. He might explode or something." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Actually it would burn his inner coil system and he won't be able to use chakra."

"Yeah, like I said – explode. Hey, that could be an awesome countermeasure against ninjas who absorb chakra! I could overload them with it and…"

"Such ninjas have devices which store chakra so it wouldn't work." Sakura interrupted.

"But what if I overload the device?"

"It takes an enormous amount of chakra to do that and it's very rare to meet such people. Otherwise, it's impossible."

'_That's what you think! I bet Naruto can beat a chakra absorbing ninja anytime. He's got a huge amount of chakra even without the Kyuubi's._' Miyako thought.

"If you say so…" Miyako sighed. "Then if you don't have enough chakra to use against a chakra-absorbing ninja, all that's left is taijutsu, right?" Sakura opened her mouth to disagree but then closed it and thought about it.

"That's right. Taijutsu doesn't require any chakra. You're catching up fast! Looks like you have some potential and you just might make it. That is, if you work hard enough."

"Oh, you think so?" Miyako scratched the back of her head with her hand, feeling a little embarrassed. After all, she was kind of cheating. She already knew most about ninjas so for her this was just like a otaku-to-otaku conversation about the world of Naruto. She was curious about a couple of things, though. "And how do you measure how much chakra someone's got?"

"Um… You feel it. Like a sixth sense." Sakura explained.

'_That's what I figured…_' Miyako thought. "But if you have too little, can you somehow increase it?"

"As I said at the beginning, you mold chakra by blending equal amounts of your body and spirit energies. The more balanced those two energies are, the more chakra you can mold. If they aren't balanced, one of the energies is going to dominate the other and it'll either be harder or impossible to mold chakra. To balance the two takes hours of meditation. In time you'll get used to it and do it without conscious thought. To create spirit energy you have to be at peace with yourself. That means you have to know and accept yourself, you have to have a strong mind, will and determination. On the other hand body energy is made by training and extending your limits, in other words, your strength and stamina. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, now I do." Miyako said after it all sank in her mind. Then realization came over her and she hung her head low. "That means I have to work my ass off just to be able to mold chakra. I've never did ninja training so I'll be exhausted all the time. I'm such a whimp that a log can beat me! And by the time I can mold chakra, there won't be any time left for me to learn to use it! This sucks! I'll never be able to become a ninja!"

A hand fisted the collar of Miyako's T-shirt and lifted her up from her chair so her now surprised expression faced an angered one with blue eyes, green goggles and whisker-like marks on the cheeks.

"Hey, don't give up so easily! You have to give it your all and try more than your best to reach your goal! I believe in you and I say you can do it! The question is do you believe in yourself? Tell me!"

To say Naruto was mad would be an understatement. He had just come back with Sasuke in toe and heard how the girl was complaining. He was now holding Miyako in mid air by the collar and had shouted right in her face. She couldn't believe it. Was he, Uzumaki Naruto, actually encouraging her? And did he say he believed in her? No one has believed in her so strongly before. She was usually the one who encouraged and believed in others. She never took the time to think if she believed in herself. The question now really was, as Naruto said: Does she believe in herself? She does have some guts, courage and pride but it is not the same as to believe in herself.

Miyako calmed down and looked around the room, deep in thought. Sakura had sat up from her seat and bore a shocked and worried face. Miyako figured she would be yelling at Naruto by now for treating her like that if she hadn't seen his determined expression. This wasn't some joke, he was too earnest. Whith his arms crossed, Sasuke was leaning on the door frame between the corridor and living room and was as expressionless as usual. His eyes, however, darted back and forth from Naruto to Miyako, showing his interest in what was happening. Since they were still in the academy, Miyako knew, Sasuke still hadn't seen Naruto so serious. It was natural that he would be a little surprised.

While observing her surroundings, she remembered a couple of times it seemed she believed in herself. One was when she made a fool of herself in front of her previous class. She did it for the "Miyako" she had unconsciously drawn in Arts. Then there was earlier today. She displayed belief in herself to cheer up a gloomy Naruto. From those two times, Miyako figured that one believes in himself for the sake of a certain goal. Naruto believes in himself for his goal of becoming hokage so everyone acknowledges him and as such to protect Konoha and its villagers, part of which were his soon-to-be close friends who are going to believe in him. Sasuke believes in himself for his goal of killing his older brother and thus avenging his clan. Lastly, Sakura believes in herself for her goal of being able to stand up for herself. She got picked on when she was little which woke up a strong self defense mechanism – a.k.a. Inner Sakura. But what is Miyako's main goal? Does she want to protect someone, avenge someone or stand up for herself? Or is there something else? What is the most important thing to her that she would like to achieve?

Finally, Miyako closed her eyes and smiled, ready with her answer. She thought of Haru, Shun, Tsuki, Taiki, Yasu and even Okada-san back at "3D world". She thought of the hokage and Iruka-sensei's words that if she worked hard enough, she would become a ninja in no time. Sakura said a similar thing a while ago. She and Sasuke proved that they partially believe in her by agreeing to help her become a ninja. And now, Naruto was holding her by the collar three inches above the ground, yelling in her face that he believed in her.

There is, after all, something more important to her than anything.

"Yeah, I do. I believe in myself. I believe that I can do it. I'm going to become a ninja! For the sake of all who believe in me, for the sake of all my friends, I'm going to believe in myself and become the best kunoichi the world has yet to see!" Miyako yelled with a determination rivalring the orange clad kid in front of her. Naruto smirked and finally put her back down.

"Good! That's what I wanted to hear." He grinned and put his hands on his hips.

"Now if you two are done spouting hotheaded idiotic nonsense, we can go to the academy's training grounds so we can start my two hour unnecessary fruitless labour?" Two glares were directed towards the owner of the low tone. Sasuke had ruined their bonding moment. At the sound of the dark boy's voice Sakura immediately went into "fangirl mode" and fussed over the raven haired boy telling him she got worried and was happy to see he was okay. The boy ignored her and turned to leave.

'_Hmm… I know Sakura's more annoying now than she'll be after a few months but I wonder if Sasuke's a bigger angsty jerk __right now__._' Miyako thought as she, Sakura and Naruto followed him.

The four were in a 300 meters long to 50 meters wide training ground with an oval run-course and several dummies and poles on the side. Sasuke led his three classmates to the poles where a grey backpack lay. Miyako recognized it as Sasuke's. He went to it and took out a pair of some kind of attached to eachother metal plates with kanji on them and threw them at Miyako.

"Put these on." He ordered. The girl reflexively tried to catch them which turned out to be a bad idea. The moment Miyako caught the plates, her knees began to shake and with a set of agonized faces she tried not to drop them. Sakura and Naruto just smiled. They knew this kind of training. In their first year in the Ninja Academy, Iruka-sensei had made them wear the same plates.

"Oh crap!" Miyako fell back on the ground with a loud thump and pushed them away. She then remembered why these were so familiar. These were weights. Like those that Lee had under his leggings but probably lighter. If they were the same weight, she'd probably be half-way into the ground. "Weights? You want me to put on weights? Are you kidding me? I can barely stand holding them!" She yelled at the boy.

"You want to become a ninja or not?" Sasuke retorted shutting her up. "And if I'm going to teach you, you will address me as 'sensei' or 'Sasuke-sensei'."

"Hai, sensei…" Miyako glared at him and then stood up. "I'm surprised you don't want me to call you 'Uchiha-dono'."

"Hn. That can do as well." Sasuke mocked with a smirk.

"Come on, Miyako-chan, you can do it!" Naruto cheered grinning. "Don't let "teme-dono" get to you." This won him a whack on the head.

"Don't make fun of Sasuke-kun, baka!" Sakura yelled at the blond and then continued ogling Sasuke with stars in her eyes.

Miyako inhaled and with a determined look picked, or more like pulled up one batch of the weights. With a lot of effort and sweat she managed to attach it to her right leg. She then repeated with the other ones. At the end, she couldn't move. Literally. Turns out, her legs were weaker than her arms. She tried not to spit out a "troublesome".

"Now do ten laps on the run-course." Sasuke-"sensei" ordered.

"Nani?" Miyako protested.

"You heard me. Ninjas are able to run at high speed." He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Oi, oi! Miyako-chan, I'll run with you." Naruto said and ran in front of her.

'_It can't be helped…_' Miyako sighed in defeat and again tried her best to move her legs.

By the time she got one lap done, Naruto was running his eleventh. The whole time she could hear Sasuke yelling that she was "slow", "weak" and "hopeless". Naruto then made fun of him by calling him "tor-mentor", "teme-sensei" and "miss Uchiha-dono". That made Miyako cry from laughter but it made "miss Uchiha-dono" throw sharp and pointy objects at Naruto while glaring a storm and it also made Sakura give him a couple of more head whacks.

At the end of the second lap the brown head got the hang of it. Instead of dragging her feet along with the weights, she tried "kicking" one of her legs forward and then using the momentum of the weights' thrust to "kick" her other leg. That way she was now successfully running. Another thing pointing that she was advancing was that Sasuke no longer yelled discouraging words to her. He just stood up still and followed her with his emotionless eyes while mentally counting her laps. Inside, he was a little angry, envious even. When he was doing this kind of training with the same weights, he wasn't running until the fourth lap.

"Ne… She's a real quick learner. I couldn't run the laps the first day." Sakura thought out loud while looking at Miyako intently. The brown haired girl was now on her seventh lap and was running the same speed as Naruto. You could hear her taunt him.

"What's wrong, "Naru-chan"? Can't outrun a beginner with weights?" She said with a wink.

"Ha! I was just taking a stroll!" Naruto would respond and run faster. Miyako would increase her own speed by controlling her breathing and continue to taunt the orange clad boy. That was her way of creating something to motivate herself to run faster.

"Tch… It's just easier for her. She's older than we were when we had to do this training." After a while Sasuke thought of a reason with which to aid his ego.

Finally done with the tenth lap, Miyako ran up to the Uchiha but when she tried to stop, she fell face-first in front of his feet. She was exhausted. Naruto also came, grinning and done with about twenty laps. He tried to brag about it to Sakura who first ignored him but then got annoyed and smacked him upside his head.

"Itai! My legs hurt!" Miyako whined.

"A ninja doesn't complain and is able to stop his momentum without stumbling." Miyako heard Sasuke's monotone over her head. She stood up, dusted herself off and saluted with a hand next to her forehead and a mocking smirk.

"Hai, "Uchiha-dono-sensei"!" She bellowed like a soldier.

"That's more like it. Now do fifty high jumps. A ninja is able to jump to high grounds." Sasuke mocked on his turn. Miyako's smirk faded.

'_Curse his solid stuck-up attitude! He likes bossing people around. I'll have to think of something else I can tick him off with…_' She complained in her mind while giving those jumps a try, although she was barely coming off the ground. Meanwhile, Naruto kept cheering Miyako on and Sakura was still "stargazing" Sasuke.

After about half an hour Miyako somehow managed to do fifty jumps and was now glad that the weights were off her legs.

"Now let's continue with target training." Sasuke said and took out a kunai and shuriken from the holsters on his right leg. "This is…"

"A kunai and a shuriken. Iruka-sensei briefed me on ninja equipment this morning." Miyako interrupted him and patted her holster. A second later the same shuriken and kunai swished inches away from her head making her freeze as a chill ran down her spine at the sudden danger. She didn't even see him throw them.

"It's not polite to interrupt your sensei." Sasuke smirked, glaring.

"A ninja is rarely polite, sensei." Miyako mused, narrowing eyes.

"Sakura should've already told you that everyone has a different way of throwing projectiles but it's all in the wrists." Upon hearing him say her name, Sakura let out a squeal. "Try finding your own. Start with the shuriken." Sasuke said and drew three circles on one of the poles with a piece of chalk. "This is your target."

Miyako picked out a shuriken from her holster and examined it. It wasn't that heavy. It weighed a little more than a fork or a spoon. Then she looked at the circle on the pole, eyes narrowing. First she slightly crouched and lifted her right arm in front of her body with the shuriken between her index and thumb. Then she swiped her hand at the pole and released the shuriken at the right moment. It flew with a whistle and hit right in the middle of the small circle. Miyako stood up and grinned at Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura with hands on her hips, content of herself. Those years of throwing junk back and forth with her classmates hadn't gone to waste.

"How did you…" Sakura gaped.

"Sugee! That was great, Miyako-chan!" Naruto cheered jumping up and down.

"Well, I'm good at throwing stuff…" Miyako started bragging.

"Your stance needs work." Sasuke turned his head away while crossing his arms.

"Eh? Oi, I hit it right in the center, didn't I? Give me a little credit or motivation, you bastard! Some teacher you are…" Miyako finally boiled yelling in Sasuke's face.

"That was easy. The trick is to hit a moving target, a ninja. And you don't have a chance even against the weakest one." Sasuke indifferently retorted.

'_Ugh, he's right. But that was an insult, a challenge. Heh… It's on, princess! I know just how to push your buttons._' Miyako thought. She then backed up and smirked mischievously. Sasuke was relieved she was no longer invading his "bubble" but something about her look bothered him.

"Oi, Sasuke, you have a big brother?" Miyako suddenly asked. Sasuke tensed. Naruto and Sakura listened with attention.

"No." He lied. Miyako's smirk grew wider. Her plan was working.

"You sure?" Miyako said.

"…" Sasuke glared.

"Too bad… I could've sworn you looked like someone's little brother." She said.

"How so?" As predicted, he asked.

"Little brothers are usually angsty little jerks who envy their elder ones." Miyako explained as a vein started throbbing on the side of Sasuke's forehead. "You're an asshole who doesn't acknowledge people so I thought you had a big brother who made you that way by molesting you or something." The vein got bigger. "But I guess you were just born a stuck-up prick."

"Why you…!" Miyako turned to run as soon as she sensed Sasuke's killer intent. He chased her all around the training ground, cussing his mouth off.

'_Plan success!_' Miyako thought laughing while running away.

"Ahahaha…!" Naruto laughed at how easily Miyako got Sasuke mad. He thought that only he could do that.

"Miyako! Take your words back right now!" Sakura yelled, mad with the person who offended "her Sasuke-kun". Miyako just continued running and turned to stick her tongue out at Sasuke.

'_Don't mess with Nagahoshi Miyako!_' she yelled in her head.

It was sundown by the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, Naruto's favorite place to eat. This time, however, was different. He wasn't eating alone. He was with friends. Three of them!

"Meanie! To hurt a defenseless girl with no fighting skills what so ever. And you call yourself a man!" Miyako sat on the far left next to Naruto rubbing a bruise on her left forearm.

"Please, I barely scratched you. You were asking for it. Don't push your luck." Sasuke said from the other seat next to Naruto. "So annoying…"

"Oi, she was just joking. It's not her fault you don't have a sense of humor." Naruto said.

"Miyako, Naruto, that wasn't funny to Sasuke-kun. I suggest we talk about something else." Sakura sat down on the far right next to Sasuke.

"Yeah, no need to make more fun of "Sasuke-kun"." Miyako said, imitating Sakura at the last part winning herself two glares. She looked around the ramen bar and spotted a calendar on the far right wall with a small red plastic rectangle on a certain date that seemed really familiar to the brown headed girl. '_Idiot!_' She mentally slapped her forehead. She forgot today was her birthday… "Even if it's not polite to hit the birthday girl…"

"Birthday girl?" Sakura repeated and stopped glaring at the other girl. Naruto and Sasuke also drew their attention at her. "Today's your birthday? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I just remembered…" Miyako slightly blushed and pointed to the calendar behind Sakura.

"Happy birthday!" Naruto shot his hands in the air and shouted.

"Happy birthday." Sakura calmly said smiling. Miyako waited for Sasuke to say something but he just stood there in silence.

'_Figures…_' She sighed irritated. "Arigatou! Let's order!" She said.

"One large miso ramen!" Naruto sang.

"Hiyashi. More tomatoes." Sasuke monotoned.

"I'll have Shio ramen, please." Sakura smiled.

"And you? Hey, I haven't seen you here before. Who's your friend, Naruto?" Teuchi, the owner of the place asked upon noticing a girl with long brown hair, a blue-green shirt and grey pants.

"Old man, this is Miyako-chan! She's the new girl in our class and today she has a birthday." Naruto explained. Miyako again slightly blushed. He was more excited for her birthday than she was.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. Naruto's been talking about this place all day so it must be good." Miyako said smiling.

"Well, it's nice to see someone advertise." Teuchi said and Naruto grinned with a small blush while scratching the back of his head. "I'm Teuchi and this is my daughter Ayame-chan." He motioned towards a fifteen year old girl with a white bandana, cooking ramen soup. When she heard her name, Ayame turned and waved with a "Hi! Nice to meet you, too." and continued cooking. "So, Miyako-chan, what would you like?"

"Oh? Umm… miso, please?" Miyako chose randomly. She had no idea what miso ramen was. She had never even eaten ramen before, because Okada-san said it was bad for her and never bought it, not even the instant one. But she decided to try what Naruto was having. It sounded better than what Sasuke and Sakura ordered. Besides, Naruto compares kinds of ramen all the time. If he chose miso as the best, it wouldn't be that bad… would it?

The next several minutes were quiet. Naruto was tapping his finger on the counter bored with waiting. Sakura was looking back and forth from Sasuke to the spot on the counter in front of her, blushing each time she did that. Said boy was simply enjoying the silence he was waiting for all afternoon. Miyako was looking with great interest over the counter to watch Teuchi and Ayame cook the ramen. She had started doing that when she first noticed a pleasant aroma floating about.

"Here you go!"

"Ittadakimasu!" As the chef put down the four bowls of ramen, Naruto immediately dug into his big one. Sasuke's ramen was strangely cold and with tomatoes. Miyako remembered reading that tomatoes were his favorite food and that he hated sweets so that kind of ramen was perfect for him. Sakura's ramen had a pale, clear, yellowish soup and didn't look half bad. It was probably the plainest ramen since she always watched her weight. Naruto's and Miyako's miso ramen had a thick soup and a rich variety of unrecognizable "stuff" over the noodles. Miyako watched it with unease for a while and looked at how Naruto was enjoying his bowl. She gulped, breathed in, took a pair of chopsticks and separated them. Then with all her courage, she took some noodles and put them in her mouth. It had a salty yet sweet flavor that was quite to her liking. After another two chopstick bites she was already eating in the same pace as Naruto. She even asked for a refill when he did, both with full mouths, when she finished the same time he did.

"Good night, guys! It was great even if Sasuke-teme tried to ruin the fun…" Naruto said snickering at the raven haired boy. It was dark and they were leaving him in front of his apartment. After they paid for the ramen the four started arguing who would accompany who to their house. Not that it mattered but it was mainly because Sakura wanted to see where Sasuke lived but Naruto said he wanted to accompany her which intervened with the girl's plans. Miyako then whined that they were counting her out. Finally she came up with an idea everyone liked. They would go leave Naruto off at his place since it was nearest, next Sakura and Miyako would join Sasuke to his apartment, last Miyako would accompany Sakura and go home since she didn't mind walking alone.

"It's training. It's not supposed to be fun, dobe." Sasuke retorted. Sasuke didn't mind walking alone, too but as far as Sakura was concerned, that was out of the question…

"See ya, Naruto!" Miyako said, a bit wishing that he wouldn't leave her alone with those two killjoys.

"Bye." Sakura waved and they took off to Sasuke's. As they were walking, no one spoke. Sasuke was minding his way with hands in his pockets, gone in his "avenger" world, trying to ignore the two girls. Sakura next to him was ogling him like she was doing all day while memorizing the path they were taking. She had the opportunity to see where her crush lived. It's not something she'd miss to remember. Miyako was waay bored on Sakura's other side, wandering why she didn't see this coming.

"What's up with the silence? Did someone curl up and die?" Miyako voiced her thoughts.

"Huh?" Sakura returned to normal remembering Miyako was here. The brunette just sighed and shook her head. The pink headed girl then continued stargazing at her crush.

'_Ugh, it's too damn boring._' Miyako began thinking. '_Dark __and timid boy over there is in his angsty world__,__ ignoring us and Sakura's fantasizing__,__ ignoring me. What does that leave me? I should either join her and leave my dignity behind just to keep myself occupied or I should go home and leave__him alone with a fangirl. Hmm… maybe I should leave… Nah. I'm not that evil. Sakura's still too damn annoying and Sasuke's still too damn __big of an asshole__. If I leave, Sakura might take a chance to confess to him. He'll mercilessly brush her off and crush all her dreams. Then she might break down or something. Usually I don't think about this stuff but Sakura's probably the best choice for Sasuke. They're different which makes them two halves of a whole. Yeah. Maybe I should change their way of thinking so Sasuke starts to appreciate Sakura and Sakura starts to understand Sasuke better. Yosh! Matchmaker Miyako is born!_'

"Hey, guys… why do you want to become ninja?" Miyako said breaking the silence.

"Why? Where did that come from?" Sakura turned to her with a questioning expression on her face.

"Well…" Miyako looked about, putting her hands behind her back. "You see… I was thinking and I'm not quite sure if I have a good reason. That's why I began wandering what are yours." Miyako thought of an excuse. Actually… half of it was true. She really couldn't think of an appropriate reason to want to become a ninja, other than that she wanted to be cool like the others and her parents.

"Oh? Really? As I think about it, at first I didn't have a reason, either. I was little when my parents entered me in the ninja program. I just agreed because I thought it was cool. Besides, my friends were entering, too. Now I want to be a ninja to stand up for myself, to be stronger. Also, there's another reason…" Sakura said looking at Sasuke with a blush. "You don't have to worry about it. You'd figure it out sooner or later." She smiled at Miyako.

'_Bingo! She said it! Now that jerk might soften up when he knows that they have the same goal to get stronger. Kinda…_' Miyako thought. '_Though she blew it with that obvious hint that she likes him…_' Miyako looked over Sakura to the quiet boy. "And you?"

"It's not your business." Sasuke said looking ahead. Miyako sweatdropped as Sakura hung her head. The pink haired girl really hoped he'd tell them.

"Hey, I know I'm new but you don't have to be that cold. Are you mad about earlier? I was just kidding, you know." Miyako tried to reason. The boy just kept looking ahead and didn't respond.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered to herself.

"Yo, are you always brooding?" Miyako said crossing her arms even though she knew the answer and the reason why.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" Sakura joined. She looked worried with hands together in front of her chest. The dark boy sighed with a hand on his forehead.

'_Heh… he's probably thinking __"__Why won't they get off my case__ and leave me alone__?__" __Poor dude… Better lessen the tension…_' Miyako said to herself. "Ne… If you don't want to talk about it we'll understand… right Sakura-nee-chan?" Miyako said unfolding her hands.

"Umm… yeah!" Sakura said smiling at Sasuke with a small blush. Then, after realizing what Miyako had said, she looked at her questioning again. "Sakura-nee-chan?"

"Yeah… you're born on March 28th, right? You're older than me with about a month or so. We're the same sign!" Miyako said as Sakura became more bewildered.

"How do you know my birthday?" she asked.

"Umm… Iruka-sensei told me when he was explaining who'd be my tutor." Miyako thought of an excuse.

"Oh…" Sakura returned to her normal self. "And when's your birthday, Sasuke-kun?"

'_Wow… She's really good of taking the advantage. That's an Aries for you! Nice job, Sakura!_' Miyako thought. _'Maan, now I sound like Lee and Guy... Heh..._'

"Why should I tell you?" Sasuke baldly said, breaking Sakura's chance to pieces.

"July 24th… Am I wrong?" Miyako answered for him with a smirk.

"No one asked you." The boy glared at her.

"Okay, I'm sorry I blew your cover, mystery boy." Miyako mocked making Sasuke madder. "Fine, fine, I'll shut the fuck up just don't kill me in your head like that!" With which the silence returned. Miyako was thinking how Sasuke was kind of scary in person while Sakura was wandering if she was missing something here. Sasuke, on the other hand, was glad that the two girls had stopped bothering him.

He didn't quite like people questioning him about personal things. He didn't quite like people in general. Especially annoying girls like the loud and nosy know it all Sakura and this new girl – Miyako. To him she was even louder than Sakura, a bit less nosy but asks just the questions he wouldn't want to answer. On top of that she appears to know more than Sakura. This presence of knowledge and the shuriken throwing skill the girl showed him today seemed kind of suspicious. But when he looked at how she was goofing off all day with Naruto, it made it harder to believe she'd be someone strange. That's why he figured that she was hiding something that wasn't life threatening neither to him nor anyone else. He was kind of curious what she was hiding and brainstormed for a while whether he should find out what or let her be. In the end, his curiousity got the better of him so he chose the first and came up with a plan. He'd come after lessons with her and Sakura more often so he can look around her apartment for anything suspicious. Sasuke smirked with an "hn", content of his plan.

'_What's he thinking about that's making him so happy?_' the unknowing Miyako thought, looking at Sasuke with narrowed eyes and a raised eyebrow. '_Meh… he's probably playing __"__maim Itachi__"__ in his head again…_' She chuckled with a hand over her mouth when she imagined a very angry chibi Sasuke bashing a half-dead chibi Itachi with a bat on the head. Sakura still didn't get what she was missing.

At the front of Sasuke's apartment the girls said bye to the boy. Sakura sang it with a blush as Miyako just waved once with a "See ya!" and they left to Sakura's.

"Ne… Sakura-nee …" Miyako said when Sasuke's apartment was out of sight.

"You don't need to call me that." Sakura looked at her dully.

"Gomen…" Miyako paused. "Sakura, I can tell you like Sasuke."

"Wait, how did you? Well… Yeah… a lot…" Sakura said slightly blushing as her Inner Sakura proudly started yelling her unyielding love for him.

"You know, he's still just a twelve year old boy who broods a lot. Right now he doesn't have any feelings for you and probably thinks you're annoying because you like him." Miyako said as Sakura got mad at her but gave up and looked down at her feet. "So… Sakura-nee … don't let him go!" Miyako turned with a warm smile to a wide-eyed Sakura. The pink haired girl looked forward and also smiled.

"Arigatou, Miyako-chan…" she said quietly.

"Heh… anytime…" Miyako replied. "But if you're gonna prove to him how much you love him you should change your tactics. You're too obsessive like half the girls in the academy which is annoying for everyone." She crossed her hands. A second later Sakura was clutching the back of Miyako's neck pushing the girl to bend down.

"That was too much!" the leaking out Inner Sakura yelled.

'_Itai! It hurts… So this is what Naruto has to deal with… Gotta remind myself that Sakura doesn't take criticism lightly…_' Miyako made a mental note after she got out of Sakura's grip.

"So what do you suggest?" Sakura said after she calmed down a bit.

"One word: intimacy." Miyako said lifting a finger.

"…What?" Sakura looked dully at her.

"The triangular theory of love." Miyako simply stated waving the finger. As this still didn't seem to make sense to Sakura, Miyako explained. "I read once that Psychology depicts love as a cognitive and social phenomenon. Love has three different components: intimacy, commitment, and passion. Intimacy is a form in which two people share confidences and various details of their personal lives, and is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment, on the other hand, is the expectation that the relationship is permanent. The last and most common form of love is sexual attraction and passion. Passionate love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love. All forms of love are viewed as varying combinations of these three components." She recited as if she was reading it from a book. When she was writing her report on 'The 14 Maneuvers of Love' she read a couple of books on psychology just to get a general idea of what love was. Although it probably wouldn't help her a bit to get a boyfriend, but whatever.

"Hm…" Sakura processed the information. "And how does this help me?"

"Sakura, Sakura…" Miyako jokingly shook her head. "You're smart, so you should know that sometimes the answer to a problem lies within the description. In this case, the description of love tells you how to achieve it." Sakura lit up and had a distant look in her eyes.

"So I should make Sasuke-kun feel passion towards me!" She sang his name and began stroking her long pink hair.

'_Idiot!_' Miyako thought facepalming. "Wrong!" Sakura's joy faded."You're twelve! How do you expect him to think you're hot?"

Sakura crossed her hands and pouted, knowing there was no way. Then something clicked in her head and she turned to Miyako while opening her mouth to say something. Unfortunately, the darker girl cut her off.

"Think who we're talking about and the way he thinks. There's absolutely no way he'd let himself think a girl is cute." This made Sakura all gloomy again. "Hey, think a little more. There's an order in which the three components of love are to be achieved." Now Sakura seriously thought about it. After a minute she wandered out loud to see if Miyako agreed with her.

"So if all forms of love are viewed as varying combinations of the three components, then there could also be combinations of two rather than all three components."

"Mhmm…" Miyako encouraged her to continue.

"But obviously if I want true love, then all three are needed…"

"Aha…"

"So I want intimacy, commitment and passion." A pink hue appeared on Sakura's cheeks as she thought what "passion" represented.

"And how do you plan to achieve those three?" Miyako snickered.

"Ano… ne…" Sakura took on a "Hinata look". "Maybe I should get to know him first…" She again blushed when she realized how wrong her tactic was until now.

"Bingo! That's it!" Miyako grinned and decided to give Sakura a break by spelling the rest out to her. "To get to know him you should become his friend rather that his admirer. When you idolize him, he takes your support for granted and doesn't take the time to respect or pay attention to you. The result is one sided love." Sakura looked down a bit ashamed of herself. "But friendship is also a form of love that lacks passion. When it's between two of opposite gender and there are intimacy and commitment present, there's a high chance of passion to arise and true love to manifest. Try not to do what you think he would like, understand what he feels and how he thinks in certain moments." Miyako said lighting up Sakura's hope once again.

'Sasuke_-kun and I will become friends and I'll make him fall in love with me! Shannaro!_' Inner Sakura yelled in Sakura's head jumping up and down with joy.

"Alright!" Outer Sakura smiled widely.

"But you know that if you want to be friends with a brooding jerk, you should sometimes disagree with him and voice your own opinion, right? No more "Sasuke-kun the all knowing wise god"…" Miyako sang the last part with a fangirlish voice.

Whack! Miyako felt a pain on the back of her neck again.

"Yeah, yeah, fine…" Sakura hissed between teeth.

Finally home, Miyako did what she usually did after a long and tiring day back at "real world". She undressed herself till only her fishnet shirt, T-shirt and boy shorts were on her while leaving her equipment and pants on the floor. Then she dragged her feet to the living room's beige couch, picking up the remote from the top of the TV along the way, and hurled herself face down on the couch with a loud "thump". Lastly, she lifted the hand with the remote and turned the TV on. Miyako was so glad the day was finally over. Finding out she was in a supposedly imaginary 2D ninja world, meeting all the people she only dreamed of and experiencing the torture of Sasuke's training was all straining both her mind and body.

'_That was one hell of a birthday present…_' She came to a conclusion while relaxing on the soft couch. Even with all the excitement of being here, Miyako felt something in her stomach. Something missing… '_Oh no…_' She sat up on the couch with worry in her eyes. '_Haru-kun… How could I be so selfish…? All day I've been thinking how awesome it was to be here, while for the fifth day I have been missing back home. He's probably gone emo without me or he got himself killed without me helping him after one of his clumsy stunts…_' She sadly smiled picturing him falling down the stairs again. '_I'm such a baka! Here I am__,__ trying to fix Sakura's life while my own is a screw up… But… even if I go back right now… what am I going to tell him? That I was kidnapped in a ninja village where my mom had lived and I happen to be born! Even thinking it sounds ridiculous… Ugh… this has become such a mess… Now I no longer belong to Haru's world… I have to stay here at least until the year passes… I doubt I will be able to face him again but… I hope Sarutobi lets me go see Haru even if he doesn't see me…_' Miyako sighed and lay back down on the couch this time paying attention to the TV screen.

It was 9 p.m. and Miyako was now sitting with crossed legs on the carpet in front of the couch as close as possible to the TV. She had a big bowl of popcorn in her lap and was stuffing her face while staring with interest at the TV screen.

"Akio-san, please, don't! Hikaru-san is in the next room and he might hear us!" An obviously attractive blond haired young woman with expressive and impressive body features with a half undressed ninja uniform showing the top of her "full" chest and her underwear was pinned against the wall by a charming black haired topless young man who was passionately kissing the woman's neck while she moaned.

Miyako went closer to the screen, stuffed a handful of popcorn in her mouth and muffled something like "Akio, you dawg! You two are soo gonna get caught!"

"Naomi…! How could you!" As if on cue an as equally charming hazel haired young man in a ninja uniform burst through the door looking at the sinful couple with rage.

"Hikaru-san…! I… It's not what you think…" Naomi cried with her full lips.

"Akio, you bastard, you're gonna pay for this!" Hikaru yelled pulling out a kunai and jumped forward striking Akio right in the heart. Naomi screamed and broke down on the floor crying.

'_Too bad, Akio was kinda hot…_' Miyako ate another handful of the bowl. '_Ninja __dramas__ are soo much better than normal ones…_' She thought while seeing Naomi kill Hikaru and then committing seppuku.

* * *

**Please review! You know it means the world! ;]**


	4. Friend

**Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Friend**

"Pant, pant…" A twelve year old dark haired girl ran as fast as she could through a seemingly large street full of villagers calmly walking along.

"Thump!"

"Watch where you're going, kid!"

"Sumimasen!" The girl turned running backwards to apologize to the person she bumped in. Then she lifted the gray and blue backpack she was holding in her hands and put it on her shoulders while turning to run forward again. After turning left at the next block and running several more meters along a long curving white wall, she turned right at the side entrance and ran up to the entrance of the Ninja Academy. She tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

"What do you think you're doing?" A calm voice asked behind the girl, catching her with her feet on the door and her hands pulling on the handle. She lifted her head backwards while in that position and looked at an upside down figure of a man in his twenties with a ninja uniform, a scar across the bridge of his nose and a brown ponytail. At the time the girl recognized the man, she let out a yelp and fell down on her backside.

"Iruka-sensei! I'm soo sorry that I'm late! I forgot to set the alarm clock last night and kinda slept in…" The girl excused herself and looked at the man with guilt.

"Miyako…" Iruka sighed. "Today's Saturday, there's no school until Monday."

"Ooh…" Realization dawned on Miyako as she got up and grinned. "I forgot…" Iruka looked at her dully. "Well, sayonara." She left off this time walking.

"But you still have lessons with Sakura and Sasuke at 15:00 on weekends." The man said making the twelve year old grunt.

It was 12 o'clock as Miyako was having microwaved sausages with mashed potatoes on the living room table while watching the noon news. The girl was getting addicted to TV in her new home. It was quite to her liking from the ninja dramas like "Of Shuriken and Love" to the ninja chat shows and movies. It was an unusually warm day for April so Miyako had tied her hair with a blue ribbon in a high ponytail and wore only a light blue t-shirt and pale green shorts. On the TV screen went by a flashy commercial about instant ramen. Miyako immediately associated it with a certain blond soon-to-be ninja from her class and smiled after she put a forkfull of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

Just as the commercial ended there was a loud "tap" coming from the living room window on the left. Miyako turned her towards the noise just as a pebble hit the glass with the same "tap" sound. She blinked at the window with interest. Then someone from outside yelled something sounding like "Miyaako-chaan~!" and another pebble tapped the glass. Miyako put her fork down, turned off the TV and went to the window. She opened it and looked four stories down to two boys her age. One with brown hair and two red fang marks on his cheeks had a gray and brown shirt with brown pants. A small white dog was on his head. The other boy with blond hair and whisker marks on his cheeks had green goggles on his head, a black T-shirt, orange pants and an orange and blue jacket on his waist. He was grinning and getting ready to throw the fourth pebble.

"Oi~! Miyakoo~!" Naruto yelled and threw the pebble with force so it would fly all the way up to the fourth floor window where Miyako was standing. Caught by surprise, Miyako yelped and barely managed to dodge the pebble. It went by a millimeter from her head and fell inside on the wooden floor.

"Mi~! Ya~! Ko~! Cha- AH!" As Naruto picked another pebble and got ready to throw it grinning with closed eyes, he got hit hard on the head by the previous one and fell back on the ground.

"Naruto! You almost hit me, you dimwit! I'm here already!" Miyako fumed from the window while Kiba started laughing.

"Oi, Miyako-chan, that hurt!" Naruto whined rubbing his head while getting up.

"Sorry!" She calmed down a little. "What do you two want?"

"You wanna' come play with us? It's a nice sunny Saturday so we figured why not have some fun…" Kiba said as Akamaru barked.

"Yah, yah! We can play ninja, or prank someone, or play hide and seek, or we can find a ball and play football! It'll be awesome 'ttebayo!" Naruto added overexcited.

"We're gonna' ask Choji and Shino and drag Shikamaru by force. You coming?" Kiba said.

'_Play ninja…?_' Miyako thought. '_Why would someone training to be a ninja want to play being one…? Hmm… Well, it's not like it's any different from a pretend game __of__ doctor, cop__s__ and robber__s__ and so on… Yeah… it might be fun!_'

"Sure! I'm coming!" Miyako finally smiled and rushed in to put her sandals on.

…

"Yes, state your purpose?" A man with long dark hair, lavender eyes and a casual yukata said on the threshold of the big Hyuuga estate.

"Konnichiwa, I am Nagahoshi Miyako. My friends and I are from Hyuuga Hinata-sama's class from the Academy. Can I ask permission for her to come and play with us? Please~?" Miyako said as politely and as sweetly as she could, completely changing her voice.

"Wait here, please." The man went back in and closed the large door.

"I'm telling ya, it won't work. They never let Hinata play with us." Kiba said from behind the dark haired girl. "Why her, anyway?"

"Come on, Hinata-chan is a cute, nice and smart girl. It'll be nice having her around. The more the merrier, right?" Miyako answered.

"Facts state that Hyuugas do not permit Hinata-san to be in the company of only males for entertaining activities such as playing. The situation may differ with Miyako-san's presence of matching gender." Shino stated in a monotone. He had his coat on even though it was warm and sunny. Everyone sweatdropped as Shino expressed himself too formally.

"What?" Naruto didn't catch on.

"What a drag… Shino said that if Miyako, as in if another girl wanted to play with Hinata rather than just us boys, they'll let her out." Shikamaru sighed. He had a gray t-shirt with the Nara symbol on the sleeves and his usual dark gray pants. "I really would've preferred if my parents let me stay home, too. I want to sleep."

"Your mom is always glad to let you play with us. *munch*" Choji said eating a chip. He had left his scarf and jacket behind and had a white t-shirt and brown pants on.

"That's because she doesn't miss a chance to wake me up and make me do something. Troublesome woman…" Shikamaru grunted.

"Ha-ha! Shikamaru, I like your mom. When we asked for you, first she was really nice like "Why, of course dears!" And then she went inside and was like "Nara Shikamaru, get your lazy ass outta bed and drag it down here this instant! Your friends are here!"" Miyako mimicked the lazy boy's mother and giggled.

"It's not funny, it's torture." Shikamaru said rubbing his forehead as Naruto laughed.

"Ano… ne… Hello…" A small voice said from the household entrance. The guys and Miyako turned smiling to Hinata making her feel uneasy. She had her black pants and a black t-shirt on.

"Oi, hi, Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled and ran in front. The shy girl blushed madly at the "chan" part and looked like she'd faint if the blond got any closer to her. Miyako noted that and thought of something to keep Hinata's mind conscious.

"Hey, Hinata-chan! Now that you're here lets go play." Miyako took the other girl's hand and led her towards the road. "Come on, guys!"

~An hour later… 13:00~

"That's soo cheating! You big cheat!" Miyako yelled crossing her hands. They were playing hide and seek by the south district of the village. "It's not fair! You were hiding on the roof!"

"No one said we couldn't hide there!" Kiba retorted putting his hands on his hips. Akamaru barked beside him in agreement.

"And how am I supposed to look for you there when I can't jump that high yet!" Miyako yelled again stepping forward.

"That's not my problem! I don't need to be considerate of you!" Kiba shouted back getting closer as Akamaru growled.

"Oh, yeah? Well, neither do I!" Miyako fumed getting in his face. A small spark seemed to pass between them as the air was getting electrified.

"Please, you t-two, d-don't fight l-like that!" Hinata fussed over them.

"Kick his ass, Miyako-chan!" Naruto cheered.

"N-naruto-k-kun! " Hinata turned to him surprised and then blushed and started poking her index fingers together.

"Naruto… your request only causes further unpleasant actions and eventual traumas." Shino said with a flat voice.

"Eheh, sorry…" Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah *munch* we're here to get along and play, not fight." Choji said coming from behind a straw cart. Miyako and Kiba turned their backs to eachother with an "Hm!" and mumbled a "yeah, yeah". Akamaru eyed the both of them and let out an "arf" while sitting down and wagging his tail.

"You're so troublesome… You woke me up…" A sleepy Shikamaru came out of the straw in the cartwheel making Kiba, Miyako and Naruto laugh, Hinata giggle and Shino and Choji sweatdrop.

~Another hour later… 14:00~

"Aaah, what are we gonna do now…?" Naruto complained for a sixth time in a row. "It's too hot to do anything fun!"

They were at some stairs by the river in the west district of Konoha. The group had decied to show Miyako around the village but got tired and stopped there to rest. Shino was under the shade of the nearest tree watching a line of ants climb up. Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba were sitting on the stone stairs leaning back on their elbows and Akamaru was lying beside Kiba dozing off. At first the stone was cold and was cooling them off a little but then their backsides warmed the ground under them and now they were hot again. Good thing that the nearby building was casting a nice shade over them. Hinata and Choji went to buy some water for everyone (and more snacks for Choji) but soon Miyako got tired of waiting so now she was trying to reach the water in the river over the parapet in attempt to cool off.

"Just… a little… further…" She said in between breaths while leaning dangerously further ahead over the parapet. Kiba eyed the near girl on the left to see only her backside visible and got a glint in his eyes. As he lay, he raised his left foot and lightly shoved it at the girl. The next thing she knew, Miyako finally touched the water but she didn't have a grasp on the parapet anymore. There was a loud cry and a splash which caught everyone's attention. Akamaru started barking and jumped on Kiba's head. Kiba, Shino, Naruto and Shikamaru stood up and went by the parapet to see a soaked Miyako in the river squirting out water from her mouth. Kiba and Naruto started laughing.

"Didn't it ever occur to you that you'd eventually fall in…? Troublesome woman…" Shikamaru sighed shaking his head.

"Nice one Kiba!" Naruto yelled. "Let's do it again!"

"KIBA! You did it, didn't you? I'm soo killing you when I get out!" Miyako yelled while angrily splashing water up at the boy. The four boys ducked behind the parapet so they wouldn't get wet as Naruto and Kiba were still laughing.

"K-kiba-k-kun! Why d-did you do t-that?" Hinata said worriedly while she and a snickering Choji approached them with a bag of bottled water and another with snacks.

"Miyako-san is in a seemingly bad situation and needs a comrade's assistance to get back to a dry area." Shino stood up and turned to Kiba. "You have deprived our female companion from the dryness, safety and comfort of land so you should execute the assistance." Kiba took a moment to blink twice while processing what Shino was saying in his head. When he got it he stood up and protested:

"What? No way! She'll pull me in the water!" He shouted and Akamaru barked supporting him.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't!" They heard Miyako yell.

"There's only one way to settle this…" Shikamaru sighed. "It'll be a pain but Naruto and I are gonna' hold you while you pull her up. She doesn't have enough strength as us so she wouldn't be able to pull you down. You two in?" He turned his bored gaze to Kiba and then at Naruto.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Kiba said.

"You bet! We're gonna get Miyako out of there, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled with a determined look.

"And you…" Shikamaru looked at Hinata who slightly blushed when everyone else looked at her, too. "Can you find a towel?" She shyly nodded. "You agree with the plan, Miyako?" He finally turned down at the irritated wet girl.

"Yeah!" She yelled. "Let's get it done with because I think the water is getting faster!"

"Okay, let's do it." Shikamaru said. Hinata gave Choji the bag with water and rushed away to find a towel. Kiba put Akamaru down, bent over the parapet and extended his hand to Miyako as Naruto and Shikamaru clutched his shirt. Miyako swam over to the river bank and tried to get a hold of Kiba's hand. It didn't seem to work as she was trying to keep herself floating in one place but the current was getting unusually fast. She dropped her hand and swam up the current so she could reach better.

"Lean me in closer." Kiba said to Naruto and Shikamaru as they let him down a little further. Miyako and Kiba extended their hands again. The two could almost feel their fingertips touching when they heard a noise from up the river like fast running water or a big wave.

"Oh, no… Kiba, Miyako, hurry!" Shikamaru yelled surprising everyone.

"What is it?" Choji asked.

"It's the hot springs. Each day at this time they let out the cooled off water in the river. It's bad because here the incoming water will cause a very high current." Shikamaru explained.

"Oh, no!" Naruto understood. Akamaru started barking worriedly.

"Naruto, more!" Shikamaru yelled as he and Naruto let down Kiba by the shirt as far as they could. Miyako could feel the water getting faster with the noise getting nearer as she struggled to keep up with the current. She desperately waved both her hands one after another in attempt to get a hold of Kiba's hand. Each time she was either too far away or just barely slipped between his fingers. And if it wasn't worse, small waves were beginning to form making it hard for her to catch her breath.

"Miyako!" Kiba yelled as the girl's head got under the water. A moment later she got back on the surface and tried harder to reach him. "Guys, hold me by the ankles!" Kiba shouted up at Naruto and Shikamaru who obeyed. Kiba was almost in reach now. Miyako had almost got her hand steady enough for him to grab it. Unfortunately, a bigger wave caught the girl just when she was catching her breath.

"Miyako!" Four voices yelled when she disappeared underwater probably going down the stream.

"Let go!" Kiba yelled and kicked his feet. The two boys holding him couldn't stop him and eventually let him go. Kiba splashed in the water and swam down the current in search for Miyako. Akamaru whined and lied down on the ground. Shikamaru and Naruto looked at eachother and back at the water. Just then Hinata came holding a big towel in her arms. She looked at everyone and then at the whining Akamaru on the ground.

"W-where are Miyako-c-chan and K-kiba-kun?" She was afraid to ask.

"Hinata-san…" Shino started. Shikamaru looked down at the ground as Naruto was eyeing the fast-going river.

"Miyako got carried away by the fast current and Kiba went after her…" Choji said. Hinata's eyes grew wide and she gasped.

"What's the use of standing here, doing nothing?" Naruto finally said. "Let's go after them!" He yelled and left off running down the road along the river. Soon after, the others followed him.

…

'_Miyako, where are you?_' Kiba thought in panic looking underwater. He surfaced and took a breath.

"Miyakoo!" He yelled while swimming with the current. After a while he got underwater again.

'_This is all my fault! If I hadn't pushed her in… this wouldn't have happened…_' He got his head out of the water and shouted again the girl's name. '_Idiot! You just had to annoy her for fun…_' He dove in and swam underwater but something got in his way. He looked at a blue ribbon. '_That's Miyako's… Oh, no… if something has happened to her, I'll never forgive myself!_' Kiba got his head out of the water and inhaled looking around.

"Miyakoo!" Kiba shouted but no response followed. He swam down the river again. The water was slowing down a bit and yet there was still no sight of anything green and blue with long dark brown hair. "Chikushou! (Damn!)" The boy went underwater again.

'_Fine, if I find her, I'll do one thing she wants me to do. Only one! Please, kami-sama, let me find her!_' Kiba pleaded in his head while searching around. He spotted with his peripheral vision something dark brown drifting like seaweed in the water. The boy immediately swam towards it to notice it was hair. Miyako's hair… The girl was unconscious at the bottom of the river. Her shirt was caught on what seemed like a root's tip from one of the riverside trees on the street so she couldn't float on the surface. Kiba undid it and swam up to the surface with Miyako in his hands. He took a breath and looked around for somewhere he could climb out of the river. On his right he saw an iron ladder and paddled with one hand and his feet to it. When he got a hold of the first bar, he adjusted Miyako more comfortably on his shoulder and climbed up the ladder. When finally back on dry land, Kiba gently put down Miyako on the ground while breathing heavily. He noticed that Miyako wasn't breathing and panicked.

"Miyako, wake up! Breathe!" He patted her cheek roughly and yelled at her. He tried to remember what Iruka-sensei had thought them to do after they saved someone from drowning. He remembered that he and his classmates were very little and they thought it was gross but… he just couldn't remember what.

Click! The light bulb in his head turned on. Kiba looked at Miyako whose clothes were wet and sticking to her twelve year old body with hardly any curves and then at her half open mouth and turned as red as Hinata if she was alone in a small closet with Naruto.

'_No, no, no, no! No way! If she found out she'd kill me! I'll be risking my life and my… __*__gulp__*__ first kiss…_' Kiba panicked even more. A small Kiba with narrowed eyes, red devil's horns and tail popped on his left.

"Do it and we're dead! Unlike you, I value my life and dignity. She's not worth risking it all." The little Kiba-devil said. Kiba thought he had acted the same when he argued over the stupid hide and seek game with Miyako. He regretted that. Then another small Kiba with big eyes, a golden hoop floating above his head and small white wings appeared on his other side.

"She might die if you don't help her. She's our friend and we're loyal to them, right?" Kiba-angel said. Kiba agreed with him in his head.

"Who asked you, doll-face? And here I thought you didn't have the guts to oppose me, pipsqueak." Kiba-devil growled.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm here to make sure Kiba does what's right so run along and don't bother him." Kiba-angel shot back and glared at Kiba-devil.

"What the hell did you say, princess?" Kiba-devil fumed and bent his head to poke Kiba-angel with his horns. Kiba-angel also bent his head and stopped the horns with his hoop.

"I said hit the road, evil being!" Kiba-angel yelled and his little wings flapped angrily.

"Evil being? You're just flattering me!" Kiba-devil's tail also flapped. The real Kiba was becoming more and more confused while looking at the chibies brawling. They eventually got in a punch-fight and then stopped in the middle of it.

"Whatever! You chose! We give up!" The two said and poofed away.

…

Miyako saw darkness and heard the water drifting about her. She was sure she was unconscious. Then someone got a hold of her and pulled her to the surface. She felt the sun on her skin again. A moment later she was on the ground with the same someone breathing heavily beside her. She heard him yelling for her to breathe and felt him patting her cheek. She realized she wasn't breathing and dread filled her. She couldn't even move or open her eyes. After a while she felt something putting pressure on the top of her stomach trice and then the water she had in her started going up her throat. Next she felt breath on her face and she could open her eyes to see a familiar figure closing in on her with a half open mouth. Miyako then recognized Kiba an inch away from her and what he was about to do. By that time the water in her had gone in her mouth. She instinctively pushed Kiba aside with her hand, inhaled air and sat up coughing water.

"What *cough* the hell *cough* do you think *cough* you're doing?" Miyako managed to say in between coughs. She looked at a wet Kiba sitting next to her who was looking away blushing madly. The girl then continued coughing.

'_He saved me… and here I am giving him a hard time… He could've decided not to help me breathe again… Stupid... I'm a damn selfish idiot!_' Miyako thought. After a while she stopped coughing water and just breathed heavily.

"Thank you…" She silently said still looking down.

"Huh?" Kiba looked wide eyed at her still blushing. "Eheheh, no, no… You don't need to thank me. I was the one who pushed you in the water, remember?" He waved his hand dismissing the thanks. "…and I'm sorry for that." He looked away ashamed. Miyako leaned back on her elbows and grinned at the boy.

"Don't worry about it! I would've pushed you, too!" She laughed. Miyako then saw Kiba widen his eyes when he looked at her, then blush and look away. "What?" She questioned. The boy muttered something under his nose blushing a little redder. "Huh…? I didn't hear."

"You have goose-flesh…" He said reddening darker again.

"Huh…?" She looked at her arm. Yeah, she had it but what was so embarrassing with her having goose-flesh? After a moment she thought of one reason and looked at the front of her wet shirt. Her chest was goose-fleshed, too which meant her breasts' nipples were… Miyako blushed madly and hugged herself. "Hentai! (Pervert!)" She yelled at Kiba as he blushed even more. Miyako didn't wear a bra since she was near flat-chested but it was still embarrassing.

"What? Am not! Who would look at you, flat-board!" Kiba yelled back at her with closed eyes still blushing. That one earned him a painfull sandal in the face thrown by a mad Miyako. He had hit her weak spot. She hated the size of her chest. She envied almost every girl with the slightest curves.

"Miyako, Kiba!" Naruto yelled happily while running towards them with the others in tow. Hinata rushed with a big towel to Miyako and covered her with it as Miyako thanked her.

"So you found her, huh? It must've been troublesome…" Shikamaru stood next to Kiba while the others circled Miyako to see if she was okay. Kiba nodded with his blush still present and looked at the group. Miyako was telling them what happened after the wave caught her but missed the embarrassing parts in the end. Akamaru barked happily and wagged his tail next to Kiba and received a pat on the head by him. Shikamaru noticed Kiba's face and asked. "What's with you?"

"Huh…? Oh, nothing, nothing…" Kiba stood up and shook his head nervously.

"Uhuh…" Shikamaru nodded his head in understanding. "She wasn't breathing, was she?" He teased as Kiba blushed again. "Oh, boy… It really must have been a pain. If it was me, I wouldn't have had the courage and she might've died…" Kiba looked at Shikamaru in disbelief. Was he really that lazy? Kiba smirked.

"Good thing it was me then... There's one problem though…" Shikamaru looked at him. "How am I supposed to tell her that I promised I'd do one thing she wants if I found her alive…?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the other boy.

"Heh… You've gotten yourself in a really troublesome situation…" The lazy boy sighed and started walking towards the others. "It's your problem. You'll have to deal with it alone…" Kiba followed Shikamaru's retreating back to where Miyako stood. She was grinning a bit embarrassed while Hinata cried quietly about how worried she was about her. Akamaru barked snapping him out of his daydream.

"Hey, Akamaru, you missed me?" He smiled and roughed the dog's fur. Akamaru barked wagging his tail and Kiba laughed. "What do you think I should do?" The dog barked again. "Yeah, figured as much… By the end of the day it is then!" Kiba and Akamaru went to join the others.

"How are you so sure Kiba didn't take advantage of you while you were unconscious?" Naruto snickered at Miyako making her blush.

"Urusai, urusai! (Shut up!)" She yelled at him and tightened her grip on the towel she was covered with.

"N-naruto-k-kun!" Hinata blushed, too, surprised that her crush would think of something like that.

"We are all sincerely glad that your life is no longer in danger." Shino stated flatly from behind his shades.

"Good thing Kiba found you! *munch*" Choji added while stuffing his face and looked at Kiba who just joined them.

"Nah, it's no big deal!" Kiba felt embarrassed again. Irratated, Miyako muttered something about "showing off".

"Oi, Miyako, at least now you're cooled off and aren't thirsty anymore, huh?" Naruto said and everyone laughed.

~Later… 15:45~

"Eh…? Why do you have to leave so soon?" Naruto yelled pouting.

"Sorry, guys, I have to go train with Sakura and Sasuke…" Miyako excused herself again. She was finally dry and they were at Shikamaru's house in his bedroom reading manga. Miyako was finding it a bit amusing that manga characters were reading manga but kept it to herself.

"Ooh…" The boys said in unity as Hinata and Miyako looked at them confused.

"What?" Miyako asked raising an eyebrow. She was sitting on the chair by Shikamaru's desk with a manga about a werewolf.

"Sasuke, huh…" Shikamaru started while flipping a page. He was lying on his bed holding a manga about a world with more advanced technology and without ninja. When he had showed it to Miyako she laughed but no one understood why.

"Sasuke? What about him…" Miyako didn't catch on. She closed her manga and turned around on the chair to face Shikamaru.

"Sasuke-san is the Uchiha prodigy, the only survivor of his clan. He is very skilled at jutsu, exceeds in speed and agility and has a first-rate mind among the males in class. For these and other reasons he is also very popular among the females his age." Shino stated like it was written somewhere and he was reading it. He was standing by the window looking outside.

"So? Everyone knows that…" Miyako looked dully at Shino.

"By very popular he means that *munch* every girl in the academy except Hinata here is drooling over him." Choji explained from across the room while putting the manga he was reading in Shikamaru's small bookcase. He picked another one, ate a chip and sat on a small couch near the door.

"Huh? Oi, Hinata-chan, you're not?" Naruto looked surprised at Hinata. He was leaning on Shikamaru's bed going through an action manga. Across from him on the small couch sitting next to Choji, Hinata hid her blush behind a shoujo manga and shook her head. "I knew you seemed kinda different from the other girls, 'ttebayo!" he obliviously said. Hinata hid her whole beat red face in the manga acting like she was reading a really interesting part as she boiled like a teapot from embarrassment. "Did I say something wrong?" He looked puzzled. The others sweatdropped.

"And…? I still don't get what you guys are trying to say." Miyako lied. Their point was as obvious as the fact that Hinata liked Naruto. She just wanted them to ask her already.

"What we're tryin to say is that you probably like the guy, too." Kiba finally spat out as Akamaru barked twice from the top of his head in agreement. He was leaning on Shikamaru's bed next to Naruto and across from Choji with another action manga. He looked with everyone else at Miyako waiting for her response.

"What…?" Miyako's dull look eyed everyone. She sighed shaking her head. "No, I don't. I admit he is talented and charming but I know better than that. He's a total dick to people and I'd never like a guy like that." She stated and crossed her arms. The guys smirked liking the way she described Sasuke's attitude towards others. Hinata was still hiding in trauma behind her manga, Naruto's words playing in her head again and again and…

~In front of Miyako's apartment door… 15:00~

Sasuke Uchiha… the avenger of the Uchiha clan… the top most skilled and promising student in the Ninja Academy… the last survivor of the tragic massacre of the Uchiha clan… the noble, the greatest, the…

"Sasuke-kun? Are you listening?" Sakura asked a bit louder and looked worriedly at her crush. She had a red ribbon in her hair, a pink tank top, a red skirt with the Haruno symbol and close-fitting green shorts under the skirt.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked flatly and glared at her for ruining his daydream. He was wearing his usual white shorts but with a thin black t-shirt with a small Uchiha symbol on the back.

"I was… um… asking you if you… umm… want to hang out later… and get to know eachother…" Sakura looked at her feet blushing.

"I'm busy." He cut her off and looked out the fourth floor window. She looked at him heartbroken but then got herself back together.

"Oh, sorry… I didn't know…" She excused herself and also looked away in deep thought. She was trying to get to know him better. Hanging out seemed like a good idea.

"Pant, pant, pant… Hey, guys! Pant, pant…" Miyako breathed heavily from running up the stairs and saw that Sasuke and Sakura were already there.

"You're late!" Sakura reproached her angrily.

"Sumimasen, sumimasen…" Miyako apologized while getting out a key from her pocket and unlocking the door. The two came in as Miyako closed the door. Sakura took off her sandals, went by the bookcase in the living room, picked a couple of books and a scroll about chakra control and put them on the table. She noticed the half eaten lunch on the table and then looked at the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.

"Miyako, that's so gross!" Sakura glared at the other girl. Miyako looked at her quizzically while taking off her sandals.

"What is?" She obliviously asked. Irritated, Sakura pointed at the plate on the table and then at the kitchen.

"Were you in such a hurry before you left your apartment that you didn't have time to clean up?" Her eye twitched. "You're so sloppy it's disgusting!" Miyako never really liked cleaning up. The only cleaning she could bear with was washing her clothes. Back in 3D world, the washing machine did the job but here she had to do it by hand in the bath tub. After Sasuke's training, that was her second most hated thing to do. She had to do it because she didn't want to smell bad. And the dishes? She hadn't washed a single plate since she entered the apartment yestarday. The truth was, she forgot. Another truth was, she didn't want and wasn't going to wash them untill she didn't have any clean plates left. The only one capable of making her do that labor was Okada-san. With her gone, there was no one there to stop her from being a slob.

"Well, I really was!" Miyako lied while defensively putting her hands in front of her. She wasn't in that much of a hurry. "The boys were waiting for me!"

"Boys?" Sakura asked confused.

"Yeah, Naruto and Kiba asked me to come play at noon. We then asked Choji, Shino, Shikamaru and Hinata. First we played hide and seek, then we played ninja and then… um… swam in the river… and then we read manga at Shikamaru's. You know, Shikamaru's mom is really cool…" Miyako started ranting as Sakura stared at her in disbelief.

'_Since when are the boys going out to play at weekends? And why haven't I heard anything!_' She thought.

'_They're leaving us out of the group! Wait 'till I get my hands on them…! Shannaro!_' Inner Sakura yelled.

"Why… why didn't you ask me to play, too?" Inner Sakura surfaced and started yelling at Miyako who tried to think of some kind of excuse. "They let you hang with them when they met you just yesterday!"

~In Miyako's room~

Sasuke quietly closed the door and looked around the room.

'_Now is my chance to look for anything suspicious. Those annoying girls are fighting and won't notice if I'm not there._' He thought and first looked under the bed. '_No… If she is a secret assassin ninja or something like that, she would hide anything suspicious better._' He checked under the bed's mattress, the carpet, the furniture and on top of the wardrobe. '_Ugh…! Nothing…! I didn't want to do this but I'll have to take drastic measures and…' _Sasuke's eyebrow twitched._ '_..._look through her things… if I want to be completely sure that this girl isn't a threat.' He took a breath._ '_Here it goes…_' He first opened the cupboard beside the bed. As he looked in it he stiffened and a pink hue crossed his pale face. He closed the small door and stood up shaking his head. '_No, nothing suspicious about socks and__…__ underwear…_' Next, Sasuke opened the wardrobe doors and narrowed his eyes. '_There's her outfit from yesterday, a bath robe and a brown coat on three of the hangers, some shirts, t-shirts, tank tops, nightshirts, hats, pants and shorts in the drawers…_' He listed Miyako's clothing in his head. He was about to open the last drawer when he heard Sakura from the living room…

"Hey, where's Sasuke anyway?" Sakura looked around nervously not able to locate the object of her affection.

"How should I know? He, like, disappeared somewhere since we got in…" A "slightly" beaten Miyako said while putting away the now clean dishes to dry off. There was a flushing sound coming from the bathroom and then running water from the bathroom sink. Sasuke came out of there a moment later and calmly sat down on the couch. He turned and glared at the two girls.

"You finished your pointless annoying argument yet…?" He asked irritated and turned back around turning the TV on. This all seemed normal to the two girls as they sat down on the table and Sakura began her lesson.

'_Good thing the window above Miyako's bed is right next to the one in the bathroom and they were both open… Probably because it's warm today…_' Sasuke thought smirking while flipping through the channels. '_But there's still one drawer I didn't check… there must be something there… Today I won't be able to disappear from their sight again. It would seem suspicious. Tomorrow I'll try again!_' He said in his head and stared at the direction of Miyako's room.

"Do I have to?" Miyako whined.

"If you want to learn using chakra, yes. Remember, every morning and evening, for at least an hour you must meditate and concentrate on your chakra control." Sakura said waving a finger.

"What if I fall asleep…?" Miyako wandered out loud. To her, meditating didn't have much of a difference from sleeping while sitting up. "Or if I unconsciously start daydreaming and lose my concentration…?"

"Ugh… Miyako… That won't happen if you concentrate hard enough!" Sakura retorted. "By the way we have a math test in Monday. You should study. How far are you with math?"

"Eeh…? There are math classes in the Ninja Academy?" Miyako looked outraged. And here she thought the torture was over. She wasn't that bright. She had either bad or average grades back at school. Arts and PE were the only subjects she was good at. She recently discovered that the latter was obviously due to her "ninja genes". Frankly speaking, she was good at anything physical thanks to her ninja parents.

"Yeah, and we have history, science, natural history, biology and so on… What did you think? That you'd get to learn cool jutsu and throw sharp objects without training your mind?" Sakura joked. Miyako opened her mouth but then closed it and nodded. Sakura stared at her.

"Baka…" Sasuke said still flipping through channels without even seeing Miyako nod.

…

Sasuke's training went as agonizing as ever. He gave Miyako heavier weights and told her that she'd receive heavier and heavier ones each time, much to the girl's joy. Miyako also moved on to throwing projectiles on a moving target, a.k.a. Sasuke, and avoiding the ones thrown at her. Sasuke was merciful enough to use small rocks instead of anything sharp so Miyako wouldn't get hurt too badly. Afterwards Miyako was glad he hadn't used anything sharp because she'd surely become not just bruised everywhere, but riddled with holes. She managed to scratch Sasuke twice, after which he had thrown at her harder so at the end Sakura had to bandage Miyako's left forearm and right side. During that time Miyako managed to invent about five new combinations of swear-words for Sasuke and received a pounding from Sakura.

~Back home… 19:30~

"Eeh thank goodness that's over…" Miyako said to herself. She had a long hot bath after she got back home from the tor-mentor's training and was now in a bathrobe in her room rubbing her hair with a towel. After she dried herself she opened her wardrobe and dressed herself. She put her bathrobe back on the hanger but dropped the towel she dried her hair with. It fell on the ground and Miyako kneeled to pick it up. After training she found it too much of a pain to squat. She got the towel in her hands and her eyes fell on the last drawer of the wardrobe. She opened it and looked through its contents. Her Naruto drawings and some posters were there aside from her drawing materials. She realized she hadn't dawn in a long time.

'_But maybe it's not a good idea to draw here… It would be awkward if student Naruto,__for instance, saw me drawing a fifteen year old him. I can only draw 2D anime people and I suck at drawing animals and sceneries…_' Miyako sighed at the thought. '_All that's left is drawing them as they are now…_' The girl picked up a manga page of a dead Itachi and a shocked Sasuke standing next to him as a thought popped in her head. '_Wait! What if someone saw these, like Sasuke? They'd totally freak out and start asking me questions! I have to hide these sheets somewhere!_' Miyako left the towel on the ground and took all the drawings, posters, manga pages and whatever that would seem too suspicious. She stood in the middle of the room and panicked. '_Gotta find the most secure place to hide these…_' Miyako looked back at the wardrobe's last drawer and grinned evilly with an idea forming.

…

Pat, pat!

"There! That should do it…" Miyako patted the bottom of the drawer. In it were only her drawing materials and empty sheets left. The "suspicious" things were nowhere to be seen. "Let's try it again…" Miyako said to herself and picked up the thinnest painting brush. She put the end of it under the drawer and pushed it up. The drawer's bottom lifted and a second bottom with the brush coming through a small hole became visible. In it were hidden all the Naruto drawings, manga sheets and posters. "I knew reading Death Note wouldn't go to waste!" Miyako shook her head and sighed. She then put back down the false drawer bottom and closed the drawer and the wardrobe's doors. "Man, thank god - or Kira - that Light is such a sly fox…" She said to herself smirking.

~In the living room… 20:30~

Miyako was eating her dinner on the table while watching "Of Shuriken and Love", the drama about ninja. On the TV screen a ninja was about to have a final showdown with what looked like his eternal rival who was actually his girlfriend in disguise.

"I'm going to win this battle, Itsuki!" The man yelled as he and the other ninja jumped at eachother, their kunai clashing. Miyako was totally into it as she froze in the middle of cutting her food and watched intently.

"Riiing, riiing!" Just when the man managed to cut Itsuki's mask and saw that it was actually his beloved she, Miyako's doorbell rang.

"Aw maan…!" She whined slapping her forehead.

"Riiing!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" She yelled irritated and stomped across the living room to the front door in the corridor. She angrily slammed the door open and yelled at whoever was bugging her. "What do you want, I'm busy!"

"Geez, are you still mad?" A startled Kiba with his hands up in defense took a step back. Akamaru next to him whined and hid his eyes with his paws.

"Oh…? Kiba, Akamaru, I'm sorry but I'm watching something very important on TV! Can you come in and when it ends we can talk?" Miyako ignored his smart-ass coment and grinned pulling them in even though they didn't say they wanted to. She motioned to the couch and ran to sit back down at the table. Again, she looked intently and drowned in the TV. Kiba and Akamaru sweatdropped but they sat down anyway…

At the end of the show Itsuki had "accidentally" killed her lover and they both shared a passionate last kiss. Kiba didn't have a choice so he, too, watched but got bored of his mind.

"So why did she kill him again?" He asked Miyako with a dull look.

"Because she's a double agent… Their sides hate eachother and sent her to seduce and kill him. They both eventually fell in love with eachother but the woman's side lied to her telling her that he had killed her family and she started to both hate and love him. She got torn between those two feelings for a long time. At the end she knew the truth and stopped hating him but it was too late because she had already struck the final blow on him." Miyako passionately explained while dropping off her empty plate in the kitchen sink. No Sakura, no dishwashing.

"Then why didn't she just ask him if he had killed them?" Kiba said like it was the most obvious thing to do.

"And blow her cover? Yeah, right!" She said shaking her head. "You want something to drink?"

"Nah, I'm fine… I still think she should've told him the whole truth." Kiba stated and Akamaru barked in agreement.

"She couldn't have done it!" Miyako protested and sat on the other end of the couch.

"If she loves him she could! Loyalty and honesty are the most important things in a relationship!" Kiba yelled crossing his hands over his chest. He stared at Miyako with determination making her feel awkward.

"Well, what if he broke up with her when he found out the truth? He might stop loving her and hate her even more!" Miyako also crossed her arms in front of her.

"If he's not a total asshole, he would! If it was me, I would forgive her and protect her if her side tries to kill her!" Kiba yelled louder at the girl and stood up. Miyako stared at him surprised. Confused, Akamaru looked back and forth from Kiba to Miyako. The girl smiled.

"Hey you're gonna be an awesome boyfriend someday…" She said and giggled. Kiba sat back down on the couch and slightly blushed looking at the girl in amazement. "By the way, what did you come here to tell me…?" Miyako changed the topic. Kiba blushed again.

"Um… remember today… when I saved you…?" He started as Miyako also slightly blushed.

"Umm… yeah… thanks again for that… you don't need to worry about it…" She muttered blowing it off like it was nothing important. The part where he called her a flat board played again in her head and she tried hard to resist strangling the boy. Kiba was still blushing.

"When I was looking for you in the river I… um… panicked that I couldn't find you…" He continued and looked down at Akamaru for support. The dog wagged its tail giving the boy a little courage. Miyako quietly waited for him to tell what he needed to get off his chest. "I promised kami-sama something if he let me find you…"

"Huh…? What…?" Miyako got impatient as thousands of reasonable and some… weird… thoughts came into her mind. Kiba gulped and finally looked at her.

"I promised that I'd do one thing you want me to do for you!" He said a bit louder. Miyako gaped at him in disbelief. Akamaru started barking happily that Kiba finally said it.

"Hahahah…! No, no…! Really, what did you promise?" Miyako laughed it off and grinned. Kiba kept looking at her seriously.

"It's not a joke…" He said. Miyako stared at him surprised. He really wasn't kidding.

"Anything…?" She asked. She thought if she was now allowed to strangle and/or kill him for the flat board comment.

"Anything…" Kiba said with determination. Miyako looked around thinking for some time.

"So if I tell you to be my servant in a sexy female maid costume, clean my apartment, the dishes, do my laundry and whatever else I order you to do every day, you'll do it?" Kiba gulped. Miyako found it perfect. She would get to be her sloppy self, her apartment and clothes would be clean and she would get to humiliate Kiba for calling her a flat board by making him wear that maid costume.

"Yes." He said. She felt a little guilty. He would actually do it?

"And if I tell you to kiss a boy, you'll do it?" A blush crept on Miyako's face as she grinned like a pervert. She thought of a hot yaoi scene featuring Kiba and Sasuke. Kiba and Naruto sounded good, too. _'Haha... no one comments on my underdeveloped figure!_'

"Y-yes…" Kiba stiffened. What the hell was in that girl's head? Miyako studied him. He was trembling a little and a small sweatdrop was rolling down the side of his face. She could almost hear his fast beating heart. And yet, he didn't back out from his promise. He was ready even for the worst. Now she felt really guilty for teasing him. Kiba gulped again.

"Ahahaha!" Miyako started laughing. "You really will do anything, won't you?" Kiba tried to smile. "Don't worry! I'm not gonna make you do anything. Forget about the whole thing!"

"Huh…?" Kiba widened his eyes. He really thought he'd have to kiss a boy. Akamaru barked and Miyako laughed again. "But why aren't you making me do anything? I wouldn't mind making you my servant!"

"Hey, do you really want to see me in a sexy maid costume?" Miyako joked as Akamaru started barking. "And here I thought you didn't like flat chested girls..."

"What? Don't think like that! I'm not a pervert!" Kiba blushed and waved his hands in front of him. Miyako laughed again.

"No, I wouldn't make you do anything like that. I would feel bad. It's not my style, I guess…" Miyako said a bit more serious. "I'm actually surprised you even told me about that. I wouldn't…" She really wouldn't. Her guts only got that far. She didn't know how twisted or perverted the person she granted a wish would be. That scared her and she would rather stay quiet and pretend she never made a promise to god. She was an atheist anyway...

"I like to tell the truth and I'm loyal to my friends." Kiba said and smiled.

"So I'm your friend?" Miyako asked with hope in her eyes. She mentally squealed at the thought of having one of the Naruto characters as her friend.

"Yeah, you're my friend!" Kiba grinned like a dog as Akamaru barked. "Akamaru says you're his friend, too."

"Really?" Miyako was overjoyed. She looked like she was going to hug Kiba but instead picked up Akamaru and hugged him stroking his fur. Kiba pouted in his head secretly wishing he was also a furry little cridder.

* * *

**Please review! You know it means the world! ;]**


	5. Graduation

**Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Graduation**

The next two months flew by like a cherry blossom tree's pink petals blown by the mild pre-summer breeze. Miyako attended the academy from Monday to Friday, hung out with the boys and Hinata on weekends and received lessons from Sakura and training from Sasuke every day. She was advancing little by little towards her classmate's level of strength and skill while secretly having a little bit more knowledge about their world.

Miyako was having slight difficulty in playing dumb during Sakura's lessons. The girl already knew most of the things the pinkette was teaching her but since it would be suspicious if she showed that knowledge, she had to act like it was new to her. The only hard thing was memorizing all the ninja laws and learning to draw chakra. Miyako understood the concept but she lacked practice in mixing her spiritual and physical energy. Luckily, by the end of the first month, she had successfully concentrated a small amount of chakra in her hands, making them glow a light blue. The second month Sakura started teaching her simple jutsu like the Henge, Kawarimi and Bunshin. She really sucked at that but she tried her very best to learn them.

Sasuke's training, on the other hand, was royal agony. Miyako was now supposed to wear weights both on her arms and legs at all times, even when sleeping. She once tried to take them off but unfortunately Sasuke had taken the liberty to attach small exploding tags which would go "boom" in case she did that. The same night Miyako had to spend in the bathroom trying to rub off the charcoal burn marks. During training the brunette was now able to run at twice her normal speed and jump twice her height with the weights. Sasuke had even made her run backwards, walk on her hands and do front and back flips. Half a month later, Miyako was having no problem with that. She was even getting better at throwing and avoiding projectiles. She was also getting as much hits with rocks at Sasuke as she was receiving. The best of it was, he had "acknowledged" her enough to have spars with her to teach her taijutsu. Miyako's happiness didn't last long as she got pummeled each time she fought him. She was way weaker.

A week ago, Sakura had found out Sasuke's favorite food, with a little help from Miyako, and each day after training she had been giving him a bento with Okaka rice balls and two tomatoes. Each time the quiet boy would glare at her as to say "This doesn't mean anything!" before taking the food. Once, he had unconsciously thanked her making her blush and stare at him wide-eyed in disbelief. Realizing that he had said it out loud instead of just thinking it, a barely noticeable pinkish hue made its way on his pale cheeks. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sakura staring at Sasuke and him looking away blushing, Miyako burst into laughter and then started groaning in pain. It wasn't a good idea to laugh so hard after training with her aching sore muscles. Sakura was getting ready to thank the other girl for ruining the moment by pounding her but decided that she was in enough pain as she was.

What about the others?

Naruto had been getting in a lot of trouble lately. Apparently, he had been getting "better" at his pranks which, despite making him more noticeable, were also making him look even worse in the adult villagers' eyes.

Since she started hanging out with the guys and Miyako, Hinata was only stuttering in front of Naruto and in other uncomfortable situations. She was still shy and easy-going but it was a huge difference that she was getting used to being in a crowd of friends.

A month ago, Kiba and Akamaru came to the academy in bandages. Kiba explained that his mother was teaching him and Akamaru a clan jutsu. Three weeks later he was bragging that the two of them have mastered it. When Shikamaru asked him to show it, Kiba muttered that his mom doesn't let him use it until he became a full-fledged ninja. Kiba didn't mention anything about it since.

Ino, Shikamaru, Choji and Shino didn't do anything interesting. Ino was getting more hours of work at the flower shop because her mom thought she could handle more responsibility. Shikamaru kept sleeping in class and sometimes he, Ino and Choji had to drag their drunken dads back home from the bar. Two weeks ago Choji had to go to the hospital for indigestion but he was up and eating again just after a day.

Shino was being his usual impassive and quiet self. Well, until one day Miyako got bored and decided to poke him with a stick just to see if he reacts. After about five minutes of silence and poking the stick started to disappear by itself with a strange noise. When Miyako looked closer at it, she saw thousands of woodworms. She sighed in defeat, threw the stick away and glared at Shino saying "You're good...". She could've sworn she saw the ends of his mouth twitch in an attempt to smile.

As those two months passed Miyako couldn't help but stop and wander what lay behind the sealed door in her apartment. To her, it was obvious that that was her parents' room but why would the hokage want to keep it a secret from her. It was just a room with a double bed and a wardrobe, right? Each time she told herself she would go ask the old man later. However, she eventually forgot all about it in the excitement of the day.

…

It was a sunny Sunday in mid June and Miyako woke up determined to ask the Sandaime some questions. She was currently wearing her weights and summer outfit consisting of a light blue t-shirt, pale green shorts and her hair in a long high ponytail with a couple of shorter locks of dark brown hair on the sides of her face. She was walking up the main street towards the Hokage Tower with a scowl on her face. She was thinking really hard what was behind that door. While her mind was in la-la land, Miyako failed to notice two running girls around the corner. The three eventually collided and fell on top of eachother.

"Forehead, look what you did! It's your fault!" Yelled the blond one with an orange t-shirt and dark grey shorts to the pinkette over her and struggled to get out. "And get off of me, you fat cow!"

"Shut up, Ino pig, it was so your fault!" The pink haired girl stood up and yelled at Ino. She had a red ribbon in her hair, a pink tank top, a red skirt with the Haruno symbol and close-fitting green shorts under the skirt.

"Oh, yeah, billboard-brow? Then who was the one who didn't watch where she was going and pushed me!" Ino protested while getting off of Miyako.

"What! That was you, PIG!" Sakura tightened her fists.

"FOREHEAD!" Ino shouted back as the two glared harder at eachother. Meanwhile, while watching the "raging battle of wits", Miyako calmly stood up and dusted herself off. She stared at them for a while, pondering if she should yell her head off at them for toppling her or calm them down.

"Uh… Hey, Sakura, Ino! It's no big deal. I'm okay." The brunette chose the latter as it had less consequences. Her muscles were aching non-stop from training. She really didn't need Ino and Sakura beating her.

"Who said this was about you!" The two rivals shouted crossing their arms. Miyako sweatdropped. Those two were as considerate and as nice as ever.

"Then what is it? You bumped into someone while you were having a little race. Big deal!" Miyako said waving her hands. She was trying really hard to be nice. That seemed to remind the girls of something. Then they both became depressed.

"Oh no…" Sakura hung her head. Miyako raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"We lost him…" Ino mumbled. Miyako immediately understood who they were talking about. They were angry at eachother and were racing. Sasuke was bound to be near.

"Guys, what makes you think that stalki-umm… following someone would make him like you?" Miyako dully asked. The two girls seemed to think about it for a while but then they gave up and crossed their arms holding their heads high.

"It might…" Ino mumbled although she didn't believe that herself. Miyako resisted the urge to palm her forehead.

"Do what you want… It's your life…" She gave up trying to reason with them and continued up the street.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sakura hurried next to Miyako as Ino went to her other side.

"Huh? Umm… nowhere… just taking a walk…" Miyako lied with a false smile. She thought it wasn't a good idea to tell them there was a sealed door in her apartment. It might turn out to be something others shouldn't know about.

"Heeh? Are you sure?" Ino eyed her suspiciously. Miyako tried very hard to keep her cool. As a wanna-be ninja she was learning to be a damn good liar. Lying to hide that she was from another world helped that skill grow, too.

"Yeeah… why?" Miyako was now the one looking at Ino mistrustfully.

"Why were you taking a walk near Sasuke-kun?" Sakura caught on what Ino was implying and narrowed her eyes at Miyako.

"Eh?" The brunette eyed Sakura and Ino dully. "You guys still think I like him, don't you?" She sighed. "I swear, everyone acts like it's manditory!" She muttered remembering her conversation with the guys and Hinata.

"You're just in denial! Who wouldn't like him!" Ino stated looking away with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Hinata, for instance…" Miyako said crossing her arms as to make a point. "… and me…"

"Hinata doesn't count!" Sakura protested as a-matter-of-factly.

"Why?" Miyako returned to her dull expression.

"She likes Naruto." Ino stated the obvious.

"And he's the only one who doesn't see it…" Sakura added as the three girls shared a sweatdrop.

"I still don't get why I "must" like Sasuke…?" Miyako brought them back on the subject. "A-ah! No, don't tell me!" Seeing how the two light haired girls got a distant look, Miyako stopped them from bragging about "oh, how cool and hot" Sasuke was. "And aren't you two supposed to prevent me from liking him?"

"Well, then who do you like?" Ino retorted.

"Why should I like anyone…?" Miyako's dull look came back.

"Oh, come on, you have to like someone! Who do you feel nervous around? Who makes butterflies appear in your stomach? Around who does your face heat up and your heart start to beat faster? Who do you find yourself staring at?" Sakura almost sang as she and Ino looked away dreamily with their hands together in front of their chests.

"No one…" Miyako just kept her dull look. "And when did having butterflies in the stomach become a pleasant feeling signalling love?" She muttered under her nose in deep thought.

"Eeh! No way!" The two girls yelled ignoring her last comment.

"No one!" Ino asked wide-eyed.

"No one…" Miyako repeated.

"Not Sasuke!" Sakura asked not-believing.

"Nope…" Miyako said.

"Not Naruto!" Ino gaped.

"Noes…"

"Or Shikamaru!" Sakura thought of a random boy.

"U-uh, no…"

"Or Kiba!" Ino chose the second random boy.

"No…"

"O-or… Shino!" Sakura suggested.

"Noo…"

"Wait! Choji!" Ino asked as she and Sakura leaned over.

"I told you, no one! None of the above! No, nope, noes, u-uh!" Miyako finally boiled. "Maan, what's wrong with you two?" She yelled and walked faster ahead of the girls, ignoring them. "Fangirls..." She muttered.

"Eeh, it must be lonely and boring without someone to like…" Ino said looking at Miyako's retreating back.

"I don't know… Maybe it's easier when you don't have to worry about love…" Sakura wandered out loud. At this Ino stared at her former friend in disbelief. What the heck was Sakura babbling about…?

~The Hokage Tower, hokage's office~

It was a beautiful morning in the village, the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, thought. It would be even better if there weren't four thick piles of paperwork, his worst enemy and rival, standing on the side of his desk.

"Hokage-sama, a girl, Nagahoshi Miyako, wishes to see you. You don't have any appointments for this morning. Shall I send her in?" His secretary's voice came from the now open door in his office. Hiruzen smiled warmly. This was his chance to get a distraction from his riva-ehem… paperwork….

"Yes, Kimura-san, please let her in. Thank you." He said and a moment later the chunin let a dark haired girl with big brown eyes come in.

"Ohayo, hokage-sama!" She said standing still as the secretary closed the door behind her.

"Why, good morning, Miyako-chan. Sit down, please. What troubles you?" Hiruzen said as Miyako nervously sat in the chair in front of his desk.

"Uuh, right… There's a room in my apartment that is sealed… so I thought you could tell me why…" Miyako told him still feeling nervous. For some reason she couldn't gather her wits. She didn't know why but she had the feeling he didn't want to tell her.

"Oh, that…" The Sandaime sighed. He knew the girl would talk to him about that sooner or later. "Well…" He started. He wasn't sure if he should spill out everything or just cloud her mind with half the truth… for now… "Your father was an inquisitive man. After he found out who your mother was, he wanted to know everything there is to know about ninja and the Elemental Lands. Eventually he started working on new jutsu. That room contains his life's work."

"Whoa…" Miyako's eyes started to sparkle in hero worship for her father.

"…but I believe that you are still far too young for that knowledge." The hokage added.

"Wait, what! Why?" Miyako tried to protest but Hiruzen shook his head. The girl pouted crossing her arms. Then she got a glint in her eyes. "Ne… hokage-sama, when one graduates from the Ninja Academy he becomes a full-fledged ninja which means he has become an adult, right?"

"Yes, that is correct." Sarutobi said as Miyako put on a smirk. "However, then you will still be just a newbie ninja, a mere genin. You will be inexperienced in both battle and reasoning."

"Then when I become thirteen…" Miyako tried to suggest.

"Still far too young." Hiruzen interrupted.

"Fourteen?" The girl tried again leaning forward in the chair.

"No, Miyako, when you get older." The hokage said a bit louder making Miyako tense up and lean back in her chair properly. She took that as a signal that she was pushing her luck too far. He then smiled warmly. "When you get old enough, I'll take care for the seal to be removed. Now, then… is there something else that troubles you?"

"Uuh… no, thank you." Miyako said quietly.

"Well, you're free to go." Sarutobi motioned towards the door with his hand. Miyako stood up and bowed slightly.

"Goodbye, hokage-sama." She spoke and left through the door. Hiruzen closed his eyes and smiled again. Raising his voice always had that effect on people. Respect was it…? The third took a moment to rethink if he should have done or said anything different to Miyako. He opened his eyes content of himself. He wouldn't go back and change anything. Allowing the girl to find out about her parents later on was perhaps the best choice and he didn't regret it.

The hokage opened the first drawer on his desk taking out a pipe and lit it with a match. He inhaled profoundly the burning tobacco fumes and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. Sighing he looked again at the four piles of paper laying next to his oak desk. '_This will prove to be a long day…_'

…

Later that day Miyako, Sakura and Sasuke were resting by the practice dummies after "Duck head's two-hour hell training" as Miyako had named it a month ago. Said girl was lying on the ground with several bandaged by Sakura wounds. She was panting and cursing under her breath, courtesy of the same person she was offending. Sasuke was trying his best to isolate himself and enjoy the bento his "number one fan" had made him. The weather insisted that he had to put on his thin black t-shirt and leave his arm-warmers behind. Sakura was mesmerized by the boy and glad that he liked her cooking, even if he didn't admit it openly.

"Teme-sensei…" Miyako voiced yet another offence and sat up. "What was that!" Sakura and Sasuke turned their attention to the beaten girl. "How…? Why…?" Miyako struggled to formulate her question. "Were you holding back all that time? Today you were so… strong…" She struggled to admit. Up until now, she could almost keep up with Sasuke's speed and strength and even hit him once in a while. But at today's training he seemed faster, better, stronger. She couldn't avoid one of his attacks or hit him even once. She felt weak, worthless… like at the start of this training.

"Hn..." Sasuke smirked gulping his last bite. "You're right. I was holding back. If I hadn't, you wouldn't have been able to keep up with me." He handed the empty bento back to Sakura who was drowning in his coolness.

"Makes sense…" Miyako pouted. "But why bother? You could've continued at that tempo…"

"You don't know, do you?" It was hardly a question."The review tests are after two weeks and a month from now is the final exam."

"A month!" Miyako's eyes widened in shock. There was so little time… She quickly recovered. "So… today you fought me at your fullest?"

"Almost…" Sasuke retorted impassively. Miyako snickered and closed her eyes. "What's so funny?"

"And here I thought you would be faster." She opened her eyes to give him a challenging look. "My body was too slow to respond but my eyes were able to see your attacks coming." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. Sakura widened hers and looked back and forth from him to Miyako, unable to find a good remark to defend her crush.

"I wasn't at full speed." Sasuke stated. "And you won't be able to see me when I am."

"Good! Fight me with all you've got tomorrow!" Miyako stood up and yelled in a Naruto-like manner.

"Ha! Like you could keep up with Sasuke-kun!" Sakura spat out. Miyako was helping her but Sakura still couldn't overcome the urge to defend Sasuke. Being able to do it himself or not.

"I want to improve faster so I can't have you holding back!" Miyako ignored Sakura and intently stared at the calm Sasuke.

"Whatever…" He sighed and turned to leave. Miyako smiled. She was gonna get her ass kicked worse tomorrow but it didn't matter. She had already gotten used to her non-stop aching sore muscles. What she wanted now was a faster and better way to improve.

'_A month__, huh…?_ _I took care of my physical improvement and I'm more than ready for __the__ tests._' Miyako thought and turned to Sakura who was saying goodbye to Sasuke. '_Now for that Bunshin test on the graduation exam… I know I'm cheating but what can I do? I just happen to accidentally know what the exam's subject is… Might as well put that into use…_'

"Hey, Sakura-nee…" Miyako smiled sweetly at the pinkette who turned with a questioning gaze. "Can you please help me with the Bunshin no jutsu tomorrow? Pleeease!" She found it impossible to learn it without her help. It was too hard for her.

"Eh? Didn't I teach you that last week?" Sakura said. "I thought you would've gotten it down by now…"

"Well, yeah, but…" Miyako sweatdropped. "I kinda suck at chakra control and I can't get it right."

"How can you suck at chakra control? Don't you practice like I told you?" Sakura waved an accusing finger in Miyako's face.

"Eheh…" Miyako scratched the back of her head. "Sometimes I… forget…"

"Miyako…" Sakura sighed palming her "slightly larger" forehead.

"Please…?" Miyako returned to smiling sweetly and subconsciously gave her the puppy dog eyes. Sakura stared at her with a bothered look for a while trying very hard not to give in. But alas, the puppy dog eyes were a stronger force than she could handle.

"Fine, fine…" Sakura sighed as Miyako hugged her repeating "thank you".

~A month later~

With the final exam tomorrow, Sasuke and Sakura were eager to have her off their backs. Today was the last they she'd get a lesson and a training session from them. Miyako was a little sad that from tomorrow there was no Sakura to play dumb with or Sasuke to take her anger on after training. She was even missing the weights she had to wear all the time. Sasuke had them taken off yesterday to give them back to Iruka. Even with her training almost over, Miyako was still weak. She planned to start reading a bit from the bookcase in the living room like Sakura was telling her to do for almost three months and do the same training Sasuke made her do. It would prove useful for the genin test in autumn. She had to get to at least a bit under average strenght by then.

That made Miyako think. Which team would she be assigned to? Who were going to be her teammates? Who was going to be their sensei? She thought of the possibility of being on team seven but shook the thought away. There was no such thing as a fourth team member, beside the sensei. And anyway, what was the chance of that happening in anything besides a crappy OC fanfic? Zilch.

Miyako sighed and tried to get used to the thought that she would be assigned to some unknown sensei and some unknown team as a third member. Then after that she would have to try her best to prove the 66% failure rate wrong and pass whatever test the unknown sensei throws at her and her team. She decided that, unknown team or not, she would still follow Kakashi's lesson '_In the world of the ninja those who violate the rules and laws are called trash. However... those who don't take care of their comrades are worse than trash._' She swore to herself to get to know her unknown teammates, to understand them, to care for them and most of all to protect them with her life.

…

"Maan, I'm hot…" Miyako said while fanning her sweaty face with a note book. She was alone at her usual seat on the right row in the back of the class. She had already passed last month's both physical and written review tests with acceptable scores putting her somewhere under the average of the whole class' performance. She really thought she wasn't going to pass them so she was in a great mood. It was the day before the graduation exam and she figured Naruto was probably giving the Hokage faces "a makeover". That meant the anime series was probably starting right now. The bell for second period had rung a while ago but Iruka-sensei was out to get Naruto. That was why everyone in the room was talking.

"You could always sit over there where the sun's not shining." Kiba said pointing to the empty seat between Sakura and Ino who were currently glaring daggers at eachother having a brawl.

"If you want me to get killed then just say so." Miyako joked as she and Kiba sweatdropped when the two fangirls pointed at Sasuke on the desk behind getting angrier. "I like it here better…"

"W-where's N-naruto-kun?" Miyako barely heard Hinata ask from the front.

"Yeah, what's he doing *munch* that's more important than *munch* coming here?" Choji asked in between chip-bites.

The last couple of months Miyako always had a pretty decent idea of what Naruto could be doing or where he could be found. This was thanks to Naruto's visits to her apartment to hide after three of his more "severe" pranks: shaving the hokage's head (the old man had to wear the hokage hat for a week), drawing "Vote Naruto for Hokage" on the academy's training grounds (Miyako was more than happy to run her usual laps during "Dick head's two-hours of hell training" on the same field) and painting the whole academy pink overnight (there were still rumors going around but no one was sure how he did it). She was the only person living alone who agreed to hide him. In exchange for that, Naruto told Miyako funny stories about how he escaped from the chunin chasing him, how he did those pranks and what or who he planned to prank in the future.

"Art..." Miyako snickered.

"Art?" Shikamaru repeated boringly taking slight interest in the conversation.

BAM! The classroom became silent as Iruka came in with a tied Naruto and set him down in front of the class.

"Listen, Naruto." Iruka-sensei said, obviously continuing a lecture he was giving Naruto on the way here. "You failed the last final exam and the exam before that. You shouldn't be fooling around like that."

"Hmm…!" Naruto turned away pouting like he didn't care. Iruka-sensei snapped.

"We're going to have a review test for the Henge no jutsu!" He stomped his foot while facing the class and pointed angrily to his left. "Those who already passed have to line up as well!"

"EEH?" The whole class exploded. The whole scene seemed like a déjà-vu to Miyako who recognized the conversation from the first episode of Naruto. She figured that, from now on, she was gonna feel this way a lot.

Everyone lined up in front of Iruka as Sakura was first.

"Haruno Sakura going! Henge!" She said with a ram hand sign and transformed in Iruka-sensei.

"Okay!" Iruka said as Sakura transformed back into herself.

"Yattah!" She squealed happily. Miyako snickered thinking how Inner Sakura was now yelling "Shannaro!" "Sasuke-kun, did you see that?" Sakura turned happily to the timid boy begging for his approval.

"Next, Uchiha Sasuke!" Iruka called out while writing in his notepad as Sakura went in the back to make room for Sasuke.

"Hai." Sasuke voiced standing in front. He just made a seal and transformed into a perfect version of Iruka without saying anything else.

"O-okay." Iruka dismissed a bit startled and Sasuke transformed back with a 'hn'. He pocketed his hands and went to the back of the line. "Next, Uzumaki Naruto."

"This sucks." Shikamaru whined boringly from behind Naruto.

"This is all your fault." Ino grimaced next to Shikamaru.

"Like I care." Naruto said walking in front.

Miyako eyed Hinata next to her who was blushing and fidgeting with her index fingers. Miyako smiled knowing Hinata was thinking '_Naruto-kun, do your best_' in that cute voice of hers.

"Henge!" Naruto yelled with his hand sign and pumped so much chakra that it started swirling around him. As the smoke appeared Miyako put her hands on her mouth trying to suppress laughter of what was coming. Several people looked at her like she's insane before returning their gazes at the disappearing of Naruto's henge smoke.

And there she appeared. The "highly gifted" Naruko with blond pigtails in all her nude glory. She had one hand on her knees and the other blowing a kiss at Iruka while moaning a sexy "uffuu" with a wink. Everyone in the room froze, with the exception of Miyako who was still trying to suppress laughter. Iruka gaped wide eyed and then he finally cracked, flying backwards with a severe nosebleed. That was it! Miyako couldn't take no more and she burst out in insane laughter. Poof! Naruto transformed back and laughed along holding his stomach.

"How was that? I call it Oiroke no jutsu!" He yelled pointing at Iruka.

"Baka mono! Don't invent suck a dumb jutsu!" Iruka quickly recovered and bellowed at the boy. You could almost feel the immense force with which he was yelling. "Dismissed!" He yelled back at the class and then dragged Naruto out by the collar while shouting at him something about cleaning a vandalized Hokage Monument.

"Eeh? He actually painted the hokage faces?" Sakura shouted in disbelief.

"Like I said… art!" Miyako laughed earning the "she's insane" looks again.

~The next day, the graduation exam~

"We will now start the final exam." Iruka said standing in front of the class with a sheet of paper in his hand. "If your name is called, come to the classroom next door. The subject will be the Bunshin no jutsu."

In the back next to Miyako, Naruto let out a grunt putting his hands on his goggle-less head. Miyako felt a little sorry for him. A week ago she was really close to telling him he should work more on the Bunshin because it'd be on the exam. After a bit of thought, she figured it was the worst idea ever. If Naruto did take her advice and learned it, he would pass but he wouldn't learn Tajuu Kage Bunshin, find out Kyuubi was in him or that Iruka really cared for him. So she mentally slapped herself and decided not to disturb the development of events.

Since Iruka was calling people in alphabetical order, Miyako had to go before Naruto. She stood up and told the orange boy to take care and received a "good luck" from him. She entered the empty classroom next to the first one and was greeted by Iruka and Mizuki sitting at a desk. In front of Iruka there were about twenty or so Konoha hitai-ates.

"You have to produce at least three replicants to pass." On the left, Iruka explained with folded arms.

"Well, Nagahoshi Miyako, when you're ready…" On the right, Mizuki politely said. Miyako would've bought the act if she didn't know how what a backstabbing bastard he was. She grinned and made the ram seal while concentrating on building her chakra. She wasn't planning on letting Sakura's ripped nerves from teaching her go to waste no matter how hard this jutsu was for her.

"Bunshin no jutsu!" Miyako half-yelled with determination as two clouds of smoke appeared to her sides. A moment later the smoke lifted revealing three Miyakos grinning at their accomplishment. The three simultaneously lifted both their hands giving eachother a high-five. The two chunin in front smiled at the girl's antics.

"Congratulations! You pass!" Iruka said holding out one of the hitai-ates to the girl.

"Yattah!" The Miyako in the middle jumped and rushed forward to take the item. She was so happy, so overjoyed that she had passed. She was also glad that her nightmare from last night about royally screwing up didn't come true.

"Here, this is a schedule of when to pick up your Ninja Registration Form, when to have your picture taken and when to turn in your filled in form. There's an explanatory meeting on October 15th at 9 a.m." Mizuki explained as the real Miyako listened carefully and nodded.

"Thanks." She turned to leave while tying the hitai-ate around her left arm like Shikamaru and like the kick-ass Miyako from her drawing. She smiled. She felt the happiest she had felt in days.

"Why aren't they disappearing?" Miyako heard Iruka ask and turned to him. He was pointing to her two clones who had decided to stay in the middle of the room. One was glaring intently at Mizuki making him uneasy while the other was looking around the room happily.

"Aah… that?" Miyako nervously went to her clones' side. "They're a little stubborn and refuse to go away without a pounding." She explained and bonked the other two Miyakos on their heads who disappeared afterwards. Iruka and Mizuki sweatdropped. "I think I feed them a little bit too much chakra so they have a mind of their own." She smiled sweetly hoping that wouldn't cost her a hitai-ate.

"Well, actually, that may prove to be more of a disadvantage than an advantage." Iruka pondered out loud. "You still pass but you should improve your chakra control." He finished as Miyako once again yelled happily and ran out the door.

Outside she was met with a mass of adults congratulating their kids on graduating. Miyako felt a lump in her throat. She looked around and stopped her gaze at a seemingly young dark haired couple looking lovingly at their dark haired daughter. The lump in her throat got bigger and her happiness from passing withered. Miyako felt her eyes water and instinctively shook her head to stop the tears. She didn't remember ever crying over this kind of thing and she was definitely not to going to cry now, either. She told herself to suck it up and go home. A hand rested itself on Miyako's left shoulder. She turned and widened her eyes to see Sarutobi Hiruzen there.

"Miyako…" His old but comforting tone reached her, showing she could trust him. "Congratulations on passing the exam. You have grown so much in so little time. I am sure your parents would be proud with you." As Sarutobi said that, Miyako struggled not to become all gloomy and sad again. "You may not have a family but you have friends. They are the closest to a family to you. Do not forget that." Hiruzen added to cheer up the girl.

"I know that. Thank you…" Miyako said as the hokage removed his hand and smiled warmly at her. Not far away a pink head with a hitai-ate instead of a red ribbon turned and upon seeing Miyako, smiled widely and waved for her to come.

"And may that be one of your friends?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yes. She's my friend." Miyako answered. She also smiled widely and ran to congratulate Sakura. "Sakura-nee! Congratulations!" She said as she neared her.

"Thanks! Congratulations to you, too." Sakura retorted. "My parents are busy and aren't going to congratulate me until tonight. I'm waiting for the others to come out. I bet they all graduated."

"Yeah…" Miyako looked at one of the windows of the academy sadly and barely heard Iruka-sensei yell "you fail" to some poor soul. Most probably Naruto, since he was the only one who did.

"Have you seen Sasuke-kun? He should've come out by now…" Sakura snatched away Miyako from her thoughts.

"Huh…? Oh, no, I haven't." Miyako looked up in thought again. Sakura realized Miyako didn't comment on her Sasuke obsession. The pink head didn't like it when she did that but it wasn't so common for Miyako to miss a chance like this.

"Are you okay, Miyako?" Sakura sounded concerned. Miyako turned to her in mild confusion and then fake-smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I was so excited that I'm a bit tired at the moment." She quickly put together a lie. "I'm going home, see ya!" Miyako waved and turned to leave. Sakura looked at her direction for a while and then turned her look back at the academy entrance just in time to see Ino with a brand new forehead protector around her waist. She narrowed her emerald eyes at the blond kunoichi.

"Today, we settle this." Sakura said to herself and tightened her grip on the red ribbon in her right hand.

~The same night~

Miyako was in her room getting ready for bed when she noticed two chunin jumping down on her terrace and then taking off in direction of the forest. Miyako figured that Mizuki had already manipulated Naruto to steal the Scroll of Sealing, Fuuin no Sho. And now Sarutobi had sent chunin after the orange boy. Miyako sighed putting on a slightly big for her yellow t-shirt and turning the lights off before slipping in bed. She turned to look out the window. It was a clear night and the stars twinkled but it had an eerie feeling. Miyako started thinking about Naruto and what shock he was probably going through at the moment. She also thought that she should start practicing her ninja jumps, afraid of heights or not.

…

During the last month before orientation day Miyako had made a schedule. In the morning she would get up, eat and run laps at the academy grounds. Since she didn't have weights on she did some extra laps until she felt fatigue leering in. By noon she would go home, have lunch and maybe read a page or two from a book or scroll from the bookcase in the living room. In the afternoon she would have target practice and literally try to beat up a tree. The first time she tried that she almost broke her knuckles. In the evening she would take a bath, have dinner and watch "Of Shurikenand Love" on TV, which had recently had a change of cast. At the end of the day she would, of course, go to sleep. The dirty dishes in the sink stayed until she didn't have anything clean to eat in. Sometimes Miyako thought that she should fuck her conscience and get Kiba to be her maid.

Miyako was a little disappointed that anyone rarely visited her during that time. There was no more hanging out with Hinata and the guys at weekends, no more Sakura and Sasuke to bug her every day. Miyako had once visited Shikamaru, since his mom was always happy to assist anyone who could get his lazy ass to do anything besides sleeping or cloud gazing. After getting over his irratation at her for bugging him, he told her that everyone was busy. Their parents were training them personally so they could get them ready for the harsh ninja profession. Shikamaru and his dad, Hinata and hers, Choji and his, Ino, Kiba, Sakura… everyone, except her, Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto had a schedule of his own: training to exhaustion. And Sasuke? He was nowhere to be seen. Miyako assumed he was probably training at night so he didn't draw any female attention to himself…

The only days that trivial round didn't last were the ones she had to take care of her Ninja Registration Form.

…

It was noon as Miyako was grinning at the top of the Hokage Tower with her back to the hokage faces. She wore her ninja attire: her green t-shirt with blue sleeves, fishnet shirt, dark gray pants, blue sandals and a dazzling Konoha hitai-ate on her left arm.

"Huuh…? You're the first girl with a grin and pants on today, kid." An old man with glasses grunted boringly after taking the girl's picture for her Ninja Registration Form.

"Thanks, old man!" She replied happily, although she wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not.

"You wouldn't believe the freaky kids that come to get their picture taken! They're getting weirder and weirder each year, I swear!" The old man sighed shaking his head in disapproval. "Like that punk I took a shot of just yesterday, Na-something… That kid had painted his face in white and red swirls and had an orange jumpsuit and blond hair. He looked like an idiot!" Miyako laughed, guessing who the old man was babbling about. "I bet they're gunna send him back for a takeover." He grunted again handing Miyako her picture.

"Yeah, good luck with that." Miyako said taking off.

"Tch... flat chested tomboy..." The old man muttered after the girl was out of sight. Out of nowhere a shuriken swished inches away from his face. "What the...?" The old man tensed. "Freaky ninja kid!" He yelled angrily.

~A few days later~

In the mid afternoon, Miyako was sitting in a chair in the middle of room 201 in the academy facing a desk with the Sandaime and a unknown chunin with a funny hat. The hokage was smoking his pipe while examining her Ninja Registration Form which had a grinning picture of her on the top left corner.

NINJA REGISTRATION FORM

Nagahoshi Miyako

Registration number: 102703

Date of birth: April 2nd, 12 yrs old, Aries

Profile: Good at lying. A natural at throwing projectiles. Fast learner. Photographic memory.

"Umm…" Miyako drew Sarutobi's attention from the form. "I wasn't sure what to write in as a profile. I hope I didn't get it wrong, since I don't have anyone else to do it for me. Eheheh." She grinned scratching the back of her head.

"No, it is acceptable." Hiruzen took his pipe in his hand and said remembering Naruto's photo from two days ago. Her profile said two important things about her as well as two other that were useless.

"You old geezer! Fight me!" A short boy with a shuriken came in sliding the door so fast that he didn't notice his long blue scarf get stuck between the doors. "The title of Godaime hokage belongs to me, Konohama- AH!" He yelped and stumbled backwards. "Itai…" The boy whined as Miyako started snickering in her chair. The hokage pulled his hat slightly over his face mumbling something about his grandson and "the fifteenth time today".

"Oh!" A jounin with sunglasses in a blue shirt and pants appeared at the door. He had his hitai-ate tied like a bandana on his head.

"Aah! Is this a new trap?" Konohamaru asked as he got up and started pulling to set his scarf free of the door's clutches. It came off as his "elite" teacher slid the door sending Konohamaru on his butt from putting too much effort in pulling. The man looked around in deep thought.

"Are you okay, young master?" Ebisu moved his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "There are no traps here! I told you." Konohamaru ignored him and looked at Miyako who was still snickering.

"You! You did something, didn't you?" The little kid stood up pointing a finger at Miyako's face. It didn't help her much as she now burst into laughter. "Why are you laughing?"

"Konohamaru-kun, is it?" Miyako asked when she calmed down and smiled. "That's a cool name."

"Eh?" Konohamaru awkwardly retreated his pointing hand. He then looked away slightly blushing and crossed his arms with a pout. "Yeah, my old man named me after the village. So?"

"I didn't set any traps, actually, I'm not that good at that…" Miyako mumbled the last part. "It was just an accident. It happens to everyone now and then. Even ninja." She pated his head.

"No!" He slapped her hand away. "I'm going to become hokage and I can't have these stupid accidents happening to me, you.. you… you flat board!" He declared angrily. Miyako's eye twitched. Did Kiba tell the whole village? If he did, he was going to die a painfull death by a certain flat chested kunoichi that was weaker than him.

"And you think trying to assassinate the current hokage will get you somewhere?" Miyako yelled pointing out while crossing her own arms. The two of them glared at eachother for a while before Ebisu interrupted.

"That will certainly get him nowhere, indeed." He moved his shades up his nose. "He is the grandson of the great Sandaime Hokage. If he wishes to take his grandfather's position, I, the elite teacher, Ebisu, will teach him ninja techniques so it will be easy to gain that title." He said that like he had been rehearsing it. "Yes, the quickest path to becoming a hokage is to learn from me." Konohamaru turned around to look at Ebisu. "Do you understand, young master?"

"No! Naruto-nii-chan is my teacher!" Konohamaru cried out and ran through the door.

"Wait, young master!" Ebisu ran out after him. The chunin with the funny hat on the desk in front sighed proving that this happened all the time. The hokage muttered to himself something about Naruto, his grandson, Oiroke and teaching. Miyako giggled at how funny this all was forgetting all about being angry.

"Your Ninja Registration Form is accepted. You're free to go, Miyako." Sarutobi lifted his hat and put his pipe back in his mouth.

"Thank you." Miyako got up and left. On the way home she couldn't help but smile. Somewhere in the Konoha forest there was an orange ninja teaching a perverted jutsu to a kid. And pretty soon, an "elite teacher" was going to get his ass owned by an advanced version of that technique.

* * *

**Please review as it is my life force! No, really… ;]**


	6. To Expect the Unexpected

**Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**To Expect the Unexpected **

It was a beautiful morning in Konoha. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were chirping happily and at Miyako's apartment her alarm clock awoke her with a start. The reason why there was a need to wake up with the alarm set for 8 a.m. was escaping her. Groggily, she dragged herself to the bathroom. She didn't know why but she remembered that yesterday she had decided to shower in the morning. What day was today, anyway?

From outside the bathroom there could be heard water starting to flow like rain. Then a thump.

"Ooh! That's right!" Miyako's voice sounded from inside as more thumps were heard signaling she had fallen and was getting up. "Today's the explanatory meeting! Yattah!" Splashes came from the bathroom as Miyako started cleaning herself faster.

At 8:45 she was already outside and going towards the academy. She wore her normal attire of the usual fishnet shirt, green t-shirt with blue sleeves, dark gray pants, blue sandals and a Konoha hitai-ate on her left forearm. With a big grin refusing to leave her face, Miyako was walking up the main street. Nothing could describe her excitement. She was as happy as a horde of fangirls in front of the Sasuke merchandise isle. She had been waiting for this day all summer. Training, learning, doing everything she can to be ready. She had made a little progress but she was a far way from average strength. She was maybe just under Sakura's abilities. At least she hoped she was. In reality, any genin could kick her ass without breaking a sweat. But Miyako didn't care. After all, she could improve with time and more training but it didn't change the fact that she was now a kunoichi.

She started wandering again about what team she would be assigned to. She tried to remember the people on her class that weren't a part of the rookie nine. The only person that popped into her head was that dark haired girl that her parents were congratulating after the graduation exam. Miyako sighed. She was so focused on getting along with the nine and training that she couldn't remember her other classmates. She palmed her forehead cursing in her mind.

A loud noise like a stomping herd sounded behind Miyako. On instinct she turned around ready to avoid said herd but instead, she saw a certain pink head and a blonde pushing eachother while coming her way at high speed leaving a big gust of smoke behind them. While a normal person who didn't know the two girls would sweatdrop and Shikamaru's phrase "troublesome" would accidentally come to their mind, Miyako smiled widely and waved at them.

"Good morning, Sakura-nee, Ino!" She yelled as they passed by her. They suddenly stopped and stared at her with a glint in their eyes and an evil smirk.

"Ohayo, Miyako!" They both yelled at the same time and glared at eachother. "I said it first!" They pointed at themselves. "No, I did!" They got closer and a spark passed between their eyes. Now Miyako cold sweatdrop. She carefully stepped aside from their view and continued walking a bit faster to the academy hoping that they forgot all about her and wouldn't drag her into the argument. "Miyako, who was first, me or her?" Sakura and Ino looked intently at the spot they thought Miyako was standing to realize she had disappeared. They looked around in panic and spotted the brown haired girl's retreating back, just as she turned around the corner. "Hey, get back here!" They shouted taking off after her. Turning around the corner, they didn't see her and figured she ran further out of sight. They took off again turning left after the next building. At the same spot around the corner, the building's paint began to move and Miyako popped her head from under a large camouflage cloth matching the wall's color.

"Heheheh…" Miyako grinned, content and walked away on her path to the meeting. She may not be strong but she could make it up with wits.

~Ninja Academy, explanatory meeting~

"Ohayo, Hina-chaan~!" A brown haired girl's grinning face blocked Hinata's vision to a certain blonde.

"Heh…?" Startled, the shy girl moved her head back and recognized the brown head as Miyako. "M-miyako-san? Hello!" Hinata nervously said as Miyako pulled her head back and looked around the room.

"Ooh~! It's almost full." Miyako said and spotted a free seat behind Naruto in his orange glory who was talking to Shikamaru. She smiled and looked back at Hinata. "Hinata-chan, I'm really sorry that there's no room to sit next to you…" That made Hinata blush a little. She didn't expect that someone would want to sit next to her. She felt guilty that she didn't save her friend a seat. "But don't worry!" Miyako smiled widely as if reading the girl's thoughts. "Look, I'll sit over there. Bye, bye!" And with that Miyako skipped away and plopped on the desk behind Naruto.

"Bye…" Hinata said quietly. She knew Miyako didn't hear her. She always said it a bit too late. For some reason, the word couldn't make it out of her mouth in time. It happened mostly around energetic people. They came unexpectedly, startling her, and next thing she knew, they were already gone before she could say goodbye. Hinata felt uneasy around them… but happy as well. They brightened her day and showed her a different side of life, a different lifestyle than her own. They were carefree, friendly, happy and hardworking. Hinata's gaze fell again on the blonde in front of Miyako who turned to face the brown haired girl and they started talking. Hinata smiled shyly. She wanted to be that kind of person.

Miyako sat down on the spot behind Naruto when he finished his conversation with Shikamaru.

"Naruto, so what I heard was right! You passed!" She said happily as the orange boy turned to her and grinned.

"Hi, Miyako-chan! It looks really good on me, eh?" He pointed to the forehead protector on his forehead.

"Yeah, it looks great!" Miyako retorted for the sake of the conversation.

"GOAL!" Two female voices were heard from the door. Miyako and Naruto turned to see Sakura and Ino panting.

"I win again, Sakura." Ino teased smirking with narrowed eyes at the pink haired kunoichi.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura thought of a comeback. "My toe entered the class before yours by a centimeter." Miyako chuckled at their silliness. She looked back at Naruto to comment but noticed him blushing at Sakura. Miyako sweatdropped.

"Are you blind?" Ino's voice could be heard as Miyako looked back at the two girls. Sakura looked around and brightened when her gaze stopped in Naruto's direction. He blushed again and looked away. Miyako traced Sakura's look to someone behind Naruto – Sasuke.

'_Oh, yeah, he was sitting there. He was so quiet that I didn't notice him…_' Miyako's thoughts wandered as she heard Ino yell "Hey, Sakura!"

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan~!" Miyako watched Naruto chirpily say.

"Get out of my way!" The "oh, so considerate" Sakura growled as she "gently" pushed Naruto aside making him fall flat on the stairs while she completely ignored Miyako.

'_What did he expect? A hug?_' Miyako sighed in her head. '_That's Sakura __right here__…_'

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura beamed upon setting eyes on the dark boy and blushed. Sasuke turned with a blank look at her. She tilted her head slightly to the side in attempt to be cute. "Can I sit next to you?" Just then an irritated Ino stomped next to Sakura grabbing her by the arm.

"Hey! I'm going to sit next to him." She protested.

"First come, first serve." Sakura retorted smartly.

"I came to the classroom before you!" Ino continued their last argument.

"I did!" A girl with short hazel pigtails in a green dress and gray pants came to join the argument.

"If that's the case, I did!" Another fangirl yelled from behind Miyako.

"I was first!"

"I'm going to sit next to Sasuke-kun!"

The classroom was filled with chicken-like female voices as almost every girl in the room, excluding Hinata and Miyako, gathered arguing who would sit next to their "god". Miyako stared in amazement. She always thought there was an exaggeration in the words rabid fangirls. But there they were, more than six angry females cursing and glaring daggers at eachother. The thought of trying to make them shut up crossed Miyako's mind, only to be shot down by the sheer possibility of getting beaten by those rabid fangirls.

The fangirls suddenly stopped and stared irritated at Sasuke's direction. Confused, Miyako also looked that way and realization dawned on her. Naruto was on the top of the desk intently staring at Sasuke inches from his face. The fangirls glared at the orange boy as Sakura yelled:

"Naruto, Stop staring at Sasuke-kun!" The same sentence could be heard being repeated from the other fangirls. Naruto turned to Sakura and then continued staring at Sasuke probably wandering what's so good about him that made the girls so obsessed. Sasuke and Naruto narrowed their eyes and glared closer at eachother as a spark crossed between their eyes. Blushing slightly with a sinister grin on her face, Miyako leaned on her desk trying to get a closer look.

'_Jackpot! I have a perfect angle!_' She thought. '_Three…_'

"Sasuke-kun beat him up!" The fangirls yelled. "Yeah!"

'_Two…_' Miyako's sinister grin grew a bit.

"Yeah, for real?" A boy with a gray shirt and brown hair in a ponytail leaned back on the desk behind him, which happened to be right where Naruto was standing, and accidentally pushed Naruto. The room suddenly got quiet. "Oh… Sorry." He turned to apologize but what he saw made his eyes widen.

'_One…_' The sinister grin on Miyako's face turned into a perverted one.

"Wh…" A mere sound escaped Sakura's mouth as she and the girls behind her stared in horror.

"…y" An equally as shocked Ino continued with the second sound of the question "why". There, on the desk in front of Miyako's, the shocked Naruto and Sasuke were in a lip lock. That was the first time Miyako wished she had a camera. Naruto and Sasuke separated and looked mortified at eachother, unable to react.

"Yaoi!" A perversely blushing Miyako stood up and announced pointing to Naruto and Sasuke who then got back to their senses and turned away clutching their necks. Sasuke started spitting and growled something about killing Naruto as Naruto was sticking his tongue out while muttering about his mouth rotting.

"Is it my fault?" The boy in front of them obliviously asked making Miyako burst out laughing. She liked that guy. With just one push he had both turned an annoying moment funny and made Sasuke and Naruto gay. And all that without realizing it. Just because of that she hoped he would be on her team. She would totally be best friends with that guy.

"I sense danger." Naruto said turning to five very irritated kunoichi.

'_Bwahaha! Naruto sensed a disturbance in the ninja force!_' Miyako laughed harder falling back in her seat and clutched her stomach as her eyes got watery. She couldn't think straight at that moment and she considered everything to be funny. She would probably fall off her seat laughing if you showed her a dancing finger, the sweatdropping Shikamaru on her desk thought.

"Naruto… you…" Sakura said with venom in her voice.

"It was an accident." Naruto tried to reason putting his hands up in defense. "It was an accident, dattebayo."

"You're annoying!" Sakura mercilessly said. The fangirls didn't seem to care if it was an accident and started cracking their fists making Naruto get a frightened look on his face. He had no way out of this with Miyako currently laughing her ass off.

~A few minutes later~

"Starting today, you're all official ninja, but…" Standing in front of the class holding several sheets of paper behind his back, Iruka started his speech. "You all are still new genin. It's going to get harder from here."

Miyako was lying on her desk listening carefully to Iruka. She had recovered but she was lying on the desk so she could effectively mask any laughing fits that came with remembering what had happened. And there it came. Miyako looked down at the desk with her arms hiding her face and started a silent laughter which from another view seemed like she was having a seizure. Miyako was sitting next to Ino and Shikamaru who was by the window, of course. Every time she started twitching Ino would stare at her in annoyance and kick her under the desk as Shikamaru would ignore them and look outside the window. In front of Miyako, Naruto was also lying on his desk. Unlike her however, he was in that position out of pain, a result from getting pummeled by angered fangirls.

"You all will be in a group of three, where you will accomplish missions under a jounin teacher." Iruka continued. Miyako heard Naruto, Ino and Sakura sound an "ah?"

"I wonder who's gonna be in Sasuke-kun's team?" Ino innocently wandered out loud catching Sakura's attention. Miyako snickered.

"I don't know." Sakura tried to sound indifferent. She turned and narrowed her eyes at Ino as, Miyako was sure, Inner Sakura started cursing and yelling that she was going to be on his team. Miyako heard Sasuke click with his tongue. She lifted her head and stared at him for a moment.

'_Bastard… He's probably thinking his teammates are going to burden him._' Miyako then turned her gaze to Naruto who was humming in thought. '_He wants Sakura on his team and anyone else except Sasuke. Heheh… What irony._' She smiled.

"We've arranged the groups such that overall abilities are equivalent." Iruka snapped Miyako from her thoughts. He pulled the sheets of paper from behind his back and looked at the top one. "I will now announce them…" As teams were read, everyone waited in anticipation. It was already team seven's turn and Miyako hadn't yet heard her name. She figured she was probably on team nine or somewhere after team ten.

"Next, squad seven." Iruka spoke. "Uzumaki Naruto" Naruto stood alert. "Haruno Sakura" Sakura let out a disappointed "oh" and hung her head as Naruto stood up yelling "Yattah!"

'_Wait for it, __you two__…_' Miyako mused in her head and smirked.

"Uchiha Sasuke" Now it was Naruto's turn to hang his head low while Sakura yelled happily. Miyako smiled.

'_They're doomed. A knucklehead, a fangirl and a brooder… Yep. They're totally do__-__-_'

"Nagahoshi Miyako"

"Heh…? What…?" Miyako nervously stood up straight. "What did I do?"

"Mm…?" Iruka looked at her confused. "You are squad seven's last member." He said like it was the most obvious thing.

Miyako opened her mouth but nothing came out. She sat down as her mind went numb. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Iruka like he had grown two heads. The teacher ignored her and read out the members of squads eight, nine and ten. Still dumbfounded, Miyako didn't notice Sakura rub in her victory in Ino's face, Shikamaru and Ino exchange words and then Ino's world crumble before her eyes after finding out she was on Shikamaru and Choji's team.

"That's it for the teams." Iruka finished.

"Iruka-sensei! Why is a top-student like me in a group with this guy, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled pointing at Sasuke.

"Sasuke graduated with the highest scores." Iruka said closing his eyes. Then he put his hands on his hips and leaned forward opening his eyes in accusation. "And you, Naruto, had the worst scores." The classroom burst with laughter making Miyako come back to reality. "This happens because we want to evenly divide abilities between the teams." She heard Iruka say.

"Don't get in my way, dobe." Sasuke voiced making Naruto angry.

"What did you say?" Naruto snapped at him.

"You want to fight, dobe?" Sasuke indifferently asked. The class burst out laughing again as Naruto got even madder.

"Dobe? Why you-"

"Stop it, Naruto." Sakura ordered. Naruto looked betrayed as he mumbled a "sorry". Miyako stared at the three in front of her.

'_This can't be real! This is wrong! How can I be in squad seven? I'll be so out of place… in a team that should be just fine without me...'_ Her hands were trebling. _'I'm sleeping in my bed back in the apartment. My alarm clock is going to ring, I am going to come here again and Iruka-sensei is going to put me in some other team._' Miyako tried to calm herself down as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. '_Yeah, that's right… it's just a dream… I've had it before. Why wouldn't I be having it again__-'_

"Sensei, how can there be a fourth member? You said we were going to be assigned to a group of three." Sakura stated as a-matter-of-factly interrupting Miyako's train of thought. "Aren't the abilities of the squads supposed to be equivalent?" Murmurs spread across the room. Miyako gaped at the pink head. She was right. Miyako was throwing off the balance. Iruka looked at Sakura unable to choose his words.

"Squad seven, stay after the meeting." Iruka said and quickly changed the subject. "I'm going to introduce the jounin teachers in the afternoon. Until then, meeting adjourned!" And with that told, the classroom began to empty and the kids went out to have lunch. The only ones left were team seven. Miyako was fidgeting nervously, Sasuke remained impassive and Naruto and Sakura followed Iruka with curiosity as he made his way up the stairs to their desk. Once there, all four pairs of eyes were on him.

"Well…" He sighed. "As you know Miyako is a special case-"

"Why?" Miyako interrupted and looked at him worriedly. "I'm not supposed to be on this team, aren't I? I should probably just go-"

"No!" This time Naruto interrupted. "I say Sasuke is not supposed to be on the squad!" Sasuke turned to glare at him.

"What?" Enraged, Sakura grabbed his collar. "You're the one who needs to go!"

"But, Sakura-chan-"

"EHEM!" Iruka fake-coughed loudly, regaining the genin's attention. Sakura let go of Naruto's jacket and sat back in her seat. "As I was saying, Miyako is a special case. She was enrolled in the academy just months before she graduated with the help of Sasuke and Sakura." Memories of Sakura's lessons and "Dick head's two hours of hell training" flashed in Miyako, Sakura and Sasuke's heads. "Even if she graduated, she is still much more inexperienced than, say, a mere first-year in the academy." Miyako looked down at her lap. "That's why she's in a squad of four. So the three of you can make up for what she doesn't possess."

"But that still doesn't answer my other question. Why four members?" Sakura said.

"The students who passed the final test are an uneven number. There was going to be a four man team, anyway. I put the two weakest, the strongest and the smartest in one squad so I could keep the abilities between the squad even." Iruka explained as Sakura "ooh"-ed. Miyako gave an effort and smiled. She didn't feel like she belonged but it sure sounded like she did.

"Hey, I'm not weak!" Naruto stood up and yelled. "I'm plenty of strong, dattebayo! I'm just not… good with tests." He mumbled the last part.

"Naruto!" Sakura started but Iruka put his hand up.

"Stop it! I will let you see your results if you stop arguing." He put one of the sheets of paper in front of Sakura as Naruto, Sasuke and Miyako leaned over to see. Over Sakura's shoulder, Miyako could see it had four graphs. One was for the name, the second for the strength, the third for intelligence and the last one for the overall score.

"Naruto: strength below average, intelligence poor, overall poor…" Sakura quickly found their team and read out loud as Naruto's head hung low. "Me: strength average, intelligence excellent~!" She sang the last part. "Overall good… Sasuke-kun: strength excellent, intelligence good, overall excellent…" Sasuke smirked while letting out a satisfied "hn". "Miyako: strength poor, intelligence below average, overall poor…" Miyako sighed. She expected it. The only reason she passed was because she could manage to do the Bunshin. "So now we know who is who…" Sakura smirked in triumph. "Sasuke-kun is the best, I'm the smartest and you two-"

"We get it!" Miyako yelled before Naruto broke down from rejection. Sakura returned the sheet to Iruka.

"Now you should go eat and come back later to meet your instructor." He said as the four left.

Outside, Sasuke had somehow managed to disappear, leaving Sakura unable to find him and ask him to eat lunch with her. Naruto tried the same with Sakura but he got immediately shot down. Miyako, being the bright girl she was, had forgotten to bring anything for lunch and had to go home to eat.

…

"Chikushou… I'm missing all the fun!" She said to herself and bit on her sandwich. Miyako was eating on the table in her living room. '_While I chow down on this, Naruto is having fun being Sasuke! And I wanted to watch Sakura try to kiss Naruto in a Sasuke henge! And then I would pop out and yell __"__rape him!__" or the sort…__ Why are you so cruel world, why?_' She bit on her sandwich again. '_I got it! I just might make it in time if I finish eating fast enough! It's on!_' She thought and tried stuffing as much of the sandwich as her mouth could take.

A couple of minutes later Miyako was hiding behind some bushes watching Sakura as she sat on a cement bench. Leaves were falling down blown by the soft wind as Sakura stood there deep in thought.

'_I wonder if I missed it…_' Miyako narrowed her eyes behind the bush. Footsteps were heard from the left as Sasuke was coming her way. '_Is that Naruto?_' Miyako wandered. Sasuke got closer and Sakura jumped up from the bench excitedly. '_Nah… that's Sasuke. Naruto should've been leaning Sasuke-style on the tree two feet in front of me. I missed it! Damn!_'

"Aww! Sasuke-kun, you're such a shy guy!" Sakura said smiling with her hands balled in front of her. "Are you emotionally prepared? I am." She continued squealing.

'_Maan, D__u__ck head was right. She really is annoying in fangirl mode…_' Miyako commented in her head, still hiding behind the bush. Sasuke just ignored Sakura as he passed right by her. Sakura noticed that and turned around, her smile fading.

"W-wait! Sasuke-kun?" He stopped and shook his head in disapproval before turning it to look at her.

"Where's Naruto?" He got right to the point. Sakura put her hands behind her and grinned sheepishly.

"Changing the subject again?" She put on a pout. "Forget about Naruto." Sakura put her left hand in front of her stomach to support the right one that pointed a finger up. "All he does is pick fights with you." She moved her right hand again so she was now with crossed arms. "It's probably because he's had an irregular childhood." Sasuke shook his head again. Sakura jolted her head up, getting an idea. "Oh, yeah, you know how he doesn't have any parents, right?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at this.

'_Sakura, you have no idea what shit you're saying…_' Miyako sighed very quietly behind her bush. Sakura put her hands on her hips before continuing her rant.

"He's always doing selfish things. My parents would scold me if I did such things." She put her hands up while explaining. "If you're alone your parents won't get mad at you. That's why he's so selfish."

'_You've got it all wrong, Pinky… Naruto's a long way from selfish._' Miyako put a scowl on her face. '_Hey! That was a good one! Pinky… Hehe… Like Pinky and Brain. Sakura's Pinky and Sasuke is Brain. Pff…_' Miyako almost laughed but stopped her fit in time, putting a hand over her mouth.

"The solitude…" Sasuke said with his back facing Sakura. From her angle, Miyako could see he was annoyed and angry.

"Eh…?" Sakura stared at him in confusion.

"You can't even compare it to the level of when your parents get mad at you." Sasuke continued as his frown deepened.

'_He's probably remembering his childhood with his brother and his parents. Eeh… and I thought his mom was so nice and pretty… Mikoto was it…_' Miyako wandered. '_And Sasuke was really cute when he was little. He was nice, too. Nothing like he is now. He had the same eyes as his mom, so full of joy and friendliness but now when he looks at you… he's closed his emotions away…_'

"What's the matter?" Sakura's question brought Miyako back in the present. Sasuke turned his head again and glared at the pink head.

"You're annoying." He said in the coldest way possible. Miyako could've sworn she felt cold chills run down her spine. Sakura stared at him heartbroken as he walked away.

'_And that's the end of the show, folks._' Miyako said in her head and stepped back as quietly as she could while Sakura was occupied staring awestruck at Sasuke's retreating back. When she was a safe distance away, Miyako ran to catch up with Sasuke. '_If I follow him, he'll lead me to Naruto. Maybe I won't miss this fun._' After about five minutes of stalking the dark boy from behind bushes, trees, you name it, Miyako saw Sasuke stop and she stopped with him. He started walking again and she followed until he stopped again, making her stop… well… again. '_What the fuck?_' Miyako allowed herself to think.

"Naruto. Where is he?" Sasuke asked out loud to no one in particular.

'_Is he talking to himself?_' Miyako looked at the boy's back dully. He turned and looked right at the tree she was hiding behind. '_Aw… __shit__…_' Miyako came from behind the tree to face him and let out a grunt while glaring at him.

"What? One kiss from Naruto wasn't enough for ya?" Miyako scoffed at him and crossed her hands.

"Have you seen him or not?" He ignored the mock and asked again.

"Hmm…" Miyako faked thinking. "No. But you seem a lot grumpier than earlier when you kissed Sakura." He stared at her indifferently. Whether he didn't know what to say or he didn't buy it, Miyako could only guess. "You were so nice, so considerate and so happy! What happened to that Sasuke?" She continued the joke.

"That wasn't me." His voice was a bit angered.

"Oh? Then who was it?" Miyako couldn't help grinning mischievously. "Was it Naruto? That would explain why you promised your virginity to Sakura." Sasuke narrowed his eyes and Miyako noticed a small drop of sweat running on the side of his face.

"Where did he go?" Sasuke growled.

"He was clutching his stomach and was muttering about diarrhea. Take a guess where he went." Miyako said as Sasuke turned around and started walking away. She followed him.

"What are you doing?" She heard him ask.

"Looking for Naruto."

"Isn't he in the boys' restroom?

"Yes." She paused. "You're asking a lot of questions."

"You're saying a lot of lies."

"What? You don't believe Naruto made Sakura think she kissed you?"

"I wasn't talking about that."

Miyako stopped in her tracks and stared confused at the back of Sasuke's head. He stopped a moment afterwards.

"Then what are you talking about? I don't lie." It was another lie.

"Just saying you don't lie makes you a liar. We're ninja. We all lie." Sasuke stated and turned around to face her again.

"Fine, fine, I lie." Miyako waved it off. "Still, what were you talking about?"

"You lie about yourself."

"Isn't that the point of lying…?"

"You… Do you expect everyone will automatically trust you just because you're friendly?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Wha… No, I don't." Miyako stared confused. "Where are you getting at?"

"You're hiding something…" Miyako tried not to show she was alarmed. "Someone will find out sooner or later."

"And you, sir duck butt hair, are a very disturbed person that is waay too suspicious of everyone." Miyako joked, hoping that would change the subject. "Have you considered therapy?"

"Annoying…" Sasuke spat out and turned around. He put his hands in his pockets and started walking to the boys' restroom.

"Annoying…" Miyako also spat in a male-like tone, narrowed her eyes and put on a scowl trying to imitate Sasuke. She put her hands in her own pockets and walked next to Sasuke in a similar lean fashion he did. They walked a couple of feet like that before Miyako boiled.

"What's wrong with you? You're so boring!" And with that she angrily stomped off in direction of the meeting room leaving a Miyako-free smirking Sasuke.

'_The nerve of that guy…! I can't make him get mad or irritated without mentioning his past or family! He doesn't care about his looks, his friends, his attitude… wait! I got it!_'

Miyako grinned as she arrived at the empty classroom. She was first. She sat down in her previous spot.

'_He doesn't like looking we__a__k and stupid in front of others. I just have to step on his ego in front of other people. Hehehe… That'll teach him!_'

She plotted her "revenge".

'_Now, how the heck did he know I was hiding something? Am I that obvious?'_

The girl thought about it.

'_I did ask him if he had a brother out of the blue… but I was just trying to insult him. He couldn't have thought I knew something, would he?_'

The brunette hummed out loud and looked out the window.

'_Maybe I should think of answers if he starts questioning me again. Let's see… First question… Where are you from?_'

She hummed again this time looking around some of the message boards on the walls.

'_That's easy! Konoha! I lived in my apartment alone since I can remember. Nice one! Now, second question… Uuh… What happened to your parents? That's easy, too! I don't even have to lie. They died protecting the village from ninetails when I was about six months old. Next question… Why didn't you enroll in the academy when you were younger? Well… that's a tough one…_'

She leaned back and plopped her feet on the desk.

'_Oh, I know! I didn't find out my parents were ninja until recently. I don't have to lie about that one, too. Neext…_'

She put one leg over the other.

'_Why haven't I seen your face around the village even once? Maan… I just had to think of a hard question, didn't I? Hmm… I don't think he knows exactly everyone in the village… There are, like, thousands of people here. So the answer is: I don't suppose you know each and every face in the village… Yeah… that'll do! Next que__-'_

"Oh? Miyako?" A lazy voice interrupted Miyako's internal monologue.

"Huh…?" Startled, Miyako tried to stand up. Since she had crossed her legs over the desk, she failed and fell over in the process. "Itai…" She quirked her head while getting up and saw Shikamaru going to sit down on his spot on her desk by the window. "Shikamaru?" She sat back down. "You're the last person I thought would come early. Aren't you supposed to be with your squad?" Shikamaru eyed her lazily and looked out the window while putting his hands behind his head and flopped his feet crossed on the desk in a similar way Miyako had a moment ago.

"Meh… I decided to go somewhere quieter and I thought this place would be empty." He explained.

"Ino's being troublesome… huh?" Miyako smirked. Shikamaru nodded sighing.

"And why aren't you with your team?" Shikamaru turned to her lifting an eyebrow.

"It's a long story about a love triangle, a henge and sour milk that I shouldn't interfere with." Miyako said and chuckled. Shikamaru gave her a confused look but then waved it off and sighed a "troublesome".

~Miyako's apartment~

Meanwhile, two figures wandered around Miyako's living room. One was a very old man with red and white robes and a pipe in his mouth and the other was a man with gray hair, masked face and a ninja uniform. The old man stood firm by the TV set while the masked ninja looked around the room.

"So this is the last place, huh… Miyako's house." Kakashi said as the hokage nodded his head and took out his pipe to blow out smoke. The jounin walked to the table resting his eye on a dirty plate. He then noticed a pile of unwashed dishes in the sink. '_I guess she's not much of a neat freak…_' He thought and glanced at the remote control next to the plate and then to the TV. '_I wander if she likes __"__Of Shuriken and Love__"__. It's getting __pretty__ interesting lately…_'

~The Ninja Academy, explanatory meeting~

A few moments later, the classroom filled. Sakura looked very pissed at Naruto for some reason and Sasuke was as calm as ever. Shikamaru understood the love triangle thing but couldn't quite put his finger on what a henge jutsu and sour milk were for. After the fourth time Naruto came back from and went again to the restroom, Shikamaru got a pretty good idea where the sour milk part came from and muttered "what a pain" making Miyako burst into laughter. It really was a pain for Naruto's stomach. Iruka came in and read out the teams' instructors. The instructors came for their squads and went out but there was no sign of squad seven's jounin. An hour later of Sasuke brooding, Sakura and Naruto complaining and Miyako trying to make smart ass comments, there was still no sensei. And they were the last ones in the classroom.

"He's late." Naruto said looking out the door in wait for his sensei. Sasuke was sitting quietly with hands folded in front of his face on the first desk of the left row, Sakura was leaning on the one next to him and Miyako was sitting crosslegged on the desk table next to Sakura.

"Oh really? What makes you think that?" Miyako grinned but everyone ignored her. That was perhaps her twentieth comment now.

"Naruto, why don't you sit still." Sakura said. Naruto looked at her and pouted.

"But why is our teacher the only one who's late?"

"I bet he has a really good reason like he got lost on the road of life or a cat crossed his path…" Miyako chuckled as Sakura shot her a "you're insane" look. Miyako knew Kakashi was either reading porn or probably visiting Obito on the KIA stone but that didn't mean she couldn't make fun of him.

"What kind of reason is that?" Sakura muttered.

"All of the squads went somewhere with their new teachers already and…" Naruto continued his complaint. "Iruka sensei already went home."

"That's not very important." Sakura closed her eyes in attempt to ignore the kid. Naruto got the chair from Iruka's desk and put it in front of the door, then he got an eraser from the chalkboard and got on the chair.

"Good one, Naruto." Miyako said making Sakura open her eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing, Naruto?" She asked standing up to see Naruto put the eraser between the door and its frame.

"Hihihihi…" Naruto laughed to himself as he balanced the eraser.

"Haa?" Sakura voiced and got near Naruto's chair.

"It's his fault for being late, dattebayo." He hopped down from the chair.

"Geez, it's your own fault if you get in trouble." Sakura grunted and felt someone hugging her one handedly over the shoulders. She looked right to see Miyako grinning at her.

"Yeah, but you like these kind of tricks, don't you?" She said as Sakura looked away and put Miyako's hand down.

"Hn..." Sasuke got their attention. "A jounin isn't going to fall for a plain old booby trap like that."

"Yeah! Naruto, you're so stupid." Sakura supported. Miyako grinned mischievously at Sasuke.

"Wanna bet? I'm gonna rub it in your face when he falls for it." He just ignored her. Just then a hand reached from outside the door and opened it as a masked face with gray hair peaked in only to get hit with the eraser. Sakura stared at him in disbelief, Naruto and Miyako grinned and Sasuke just stared. After a moment of silence Naruto started laughing and pointed at the masked man.

"He fell for it! He fell for it!" He continued laughing, dragging Miyako in a fit of laughter. Kakashi stood in the same spot observing them.

"I'm sorry, sensei, I tried to stop him but Naruto didn't listen…" Sakura excused herself with a worried look on her face and hands balled in front of her. Sasuke hid his face behind his folded hands in deep thought.

"Sasuke, you owe me." Miyako announced with hands on her hips as Kakashi stepped in and picked up the eraser. He looked at the four. Miyako, Naruto and Sakura were by Sasuke's desk smiling as the dark boy hid his mouth with folded hands staring at the man. The jounin studied the eraser for a while and then looked back at his new students.

"Hmm… How should I say this…?" He put a hand under his chin in thought "My first impressions of you guys are… Ah! I hate you." Everyone anime-fell, except Miyako who just continued smiling at Kakashi.

Everyone went on the roof. The squad sat on the stairs as their sensei leaned on the railing.

"Let's see, why don't you introduce yourselves?" Kakashi asked with crossed arms.

"Introduce ourselves? What should we say?" Sakura asked from the far left. Sasuke was with his folded hands next to her, Naruto on his other side and Miyako on the far right with crossed legs.

"What you like, hate, your dreams and hobbies…" The jounin put his hands in the air as he explained and folded them back. "Things like that."

"Ano sa, ano sa, why don't you introduce yourself first, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Me?" The sensei pointed to himself. "I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my likes and dislikes." Naruto and Sakura voiced an "eh?" "As for my dream…" He paused. "I have a few hobbies." He swiftly ignored the last part of information about himself.

"So all we found out was his name." Sakura muttered to the others as Naruto nodded a "hm".

"Now it's your turn." Kakashi said and looked at Naruto. "You first."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." The boy happily said as he started fidgeting with his hitai-ate. "I like cup ramen. But I like the ramen at Ichiraku that Iruka-sensei buys for me even more. I hate the three minutes that I have to wait after I put the hot water. My hobby is to eat and compare cup ramen!" He exclaimed enthusiastically and then he became more serious. "And my dream is to become the greatest Hokage! I'm going to make all the villagers recognize my existence. Miyako saw Kakashi's eye widen for a brief moment.

"Okay, next." The jounin said and moved his gaze to Sakura. She beamed and smiled slightly blushing.

"I'm Haruno Sakura! I like… well the person I like is…" She paused to glance at Sasuke. "And my hobby is…" She looked away in thought."Well, my dream is to…" She looked at Sasuke again. "NYA!" She hid her face in her balled hands and screamed blushing.

"And? What do you hate?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto." Sakura grimly said, her smile turning into a frown. Naruto let out a cry as he burst into tears. Miyako just chuckled as Sakura got back to fangirl mode and ogled Sasuke.

"Last guy." Kakashi voiced.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke." The dark boy said indifferently as he kept his hands folded in front of his face. "There are many things that I hate and there aren't many things that I like." Sakura let out an "oh" in disappointment. She really wanted to know… "Also, I have an ambition that I have no intention to leave as just a dream." A dark aura clouded his dark eyes. "The revival of my clan and to… kill a certain man." Everyone stared at him for a while speechless. That is, until Miyako decided to break the ice.

"Dude… you've got issues." Sasuke shot her grinning face a glare making her yelp and bring her hand up in defense.

"Okay…" Kakashi interrupted and darted his eye to Miyako. "Last girl."

"Nagahoshi Miyako!" She exclaimed grinning. "I like watching TV, I hate jerks and my hobby is watching anime , manga and dramas." She blurted out and paused dramatically. It didn't seem to work much. She continued in a more determined tone. "My dream is to become the greatest kunoichi this world has ever seen! So I can protect my friends!" She puffed her chest proudly as Kakashi widened his eye for a brief moment again. Naruto smiled as Sakura stared at her.

"Alright, you four all have unique personalities. I like that." The jounin regained their attention. "We're going to begin a mission starting tomorrow."

"Ha! What kind of mission is that, sir?" Naruto saluted.

"First we're going to do something that we five can do." Kakashi continued.

"Nani, nani, nani, naani?" Naruto asked impatient. Kakashi paused dramatically. Miyako frowned. It worked for him. Why couldn't it work for her?

"Survival training." The man said and Naruto repeated the words.

"Why are we going to train when it's a mission?" Sakura asked. "We had plenty if training at the academy."

"This is no ordinary training." Kakashi said.

"Then, then what kind of training is it?" Naruto asked as Kakashi started laughing to himself.

"Hey, what's so funny, sensei?" Sakura scowled.

"I don't think we wanna know..." Miyako sighed making the other girl look at her confused.

"That's right. If I say this, I'm sure you four are going to be surprised." The jounin said and Naruto voiced an "ah?" Kakashi put his right hand next to his visible eye casting a shadow over it making himself look intimidating. "Out of the 28 graduates, only nine or ten are going to become genin. The others will be sent back to the academy." He said in a monotone. "In other words, this training is going to be a very hard test with a dropout rate of 66%." Naruto gaped, dispair overcame Sakura and Sasuke glared at Kakashi. Miyako just smiled making Kakashi raise an eyebrow at her for a short moment.

"See? You are surprised!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"No way! I went through so much trouble…" Naruto opened his mouth to complain. "Then what was the final exam for, dattebayo?"

"That? It just picks out those who are qualified to become genin."

"Naaani?"

"Then why was it called a final test…?" Miyako asked.

"Anyway, I'm going to determine whether you pass or fail tomorrow at the training grounds." Kakashi ignored Miyako… again. "Bring your ninja equipment and meet at 5 a.m.!"

"How are we supposed to be sure you're not gonna be late again?" Miyako asked smirking. Next to her, Naruto was trembling, lost in his own thoughts.

"Oh?" Kakashi innocently said wandering why Miyako was so calm. "Have a little faith in me, won't you." On the far left, Sakura was also brainstorming and staring intently at the ground in front of her.

"Then why were you late today, sensei?" Miyako mused. Between Sakura and Naruto, Sasuke was clutching his folded hands, gone in his "avenger" world. Kakashi stood up, turned his back to them and waved a hand.

"Now then, meeting over." Miyako sweatdropped. He ignored her question again. "Oh, and don't eat breakfast." He turned to look at the four with his eye. "You'll throw up." Sakura and Naruto stared at him in disbelief as Sasuke glared. Miyako yawned and looked away.

'_How's that? Let's see how you like it when I ignore you!_' She screamed in her head.

With that over, Kakashi jumped off the roof, going in an unknown direction. Miyako turned her attention back at him.

'_Huh? Aww maan, I still haven't learned to do that! Uuh… I'm really afraid of heights but I have to learn to __ninja __jump sooner or later…_'

Sasuke stood up and walked away while Naruto and Sakura were still in shock. Miyako also stood up and turned to him.

'_I wander if I should say goodbye… Sakura would snap out of it and realize he's leaving. Then she'll go after him, trying to get his attention. Hehehe… Nah, I'm still not that evil…_'

After Sasuke left, Naruto got back to his senses.

"Huh? What does he mean we'll throw up? Is it that hard?" He stood up and protested looking back and forth from Miyako to Sakura. This seemed to get Sakura's attention.

"How should I know, Naruto!" She stood up snapping at him and left. The boy looked at Miyako with final hope for support. Which she happily gave him.

"Don't worry!" Miyako crossed her hands and looked at him with serious determination on her face. "We're gonna' pass!" Naruto let out a "huh?" "We four are a team now, right?" Naruto faintly nodded. "We're gonna work together, and pass this test no matter how hard it is!" She yelled and grinned at him. This seemed to light a fire in Naruto's eyes as he balled a fist and shot it in the air, shouting:

"Yeah! Bring it on!" Miyako laughed at him and Naruto awkwardly scratched the back of his head grinning. She felt that with time, she just might fit in with the team.

…

A couple of meters away, on another biolding's roof behind a water tower, a masked jounin smiled behind his mask making his one visible eye curve upwards.

* * *

**For all those who reviewed and criticized, sankyu! –in a Japanese accent-**

**Review and criticize more, please! For it is the youthful source of my inspiration to write! YOSH!**


	7. We're a Team!

**Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.**

* * *

**Chapter ****7**

**We're a Team!**

"Uhh… This is gonna hurt like shit if I fall." Miyako looked down from a five meter high tree branch in the middle of the forest which she had finished climbing.

It was mid afternoon and the sun was on its six o'clock spot in the sky. Miyako turned her head forward and narrowed her eyes at another high tree branch on the neighboring tree.

"Well, here goes nothing..." She crouched, took a breath and jumped making one big leap towards the branch. Unfortunately, she had made a tiny mistake in her calculations. She had put in a little too much effort in her jump and instead of landing on the desired branch a couple of feet away, she had missed it and leaped further, missing the next one, and the next one…

"Whoa!" Miyako couldn't help say while in mid air. A second later though she panicked, realizing she was going to fall from a very high place.

'_This was a bad idea! Bad idea! BAD IDE-_'

"AAAH!" She yelled falling down while waving her arms frantically to grab one of the passing branches. Luckily, she managed to get a grip on one of the lowest ones, a meter and a half away from the ground. She let go and landed safely on the ground. She lay down as if hugging the ground while shaking, thanking her luck that it came back in time to save her.

This Miyako had been doing since the meeting. After she left the first meeting she had with squad seven and Kakashi, she decided that it was about time to get a grip and finally learn to do those ninja jumps she dreaded. No matter how big her fear of falling was. Like Sasuke had lectured her so many times during "Dick head's two hour hell training", Miyako had to overcome that fear and learn to jump properly by tomorrow. For tomorrow was Kakashi's test. Yes, they were going to pass anyway so she could just relax and wait for the outcome. Yes, Miyako knew that the key was teamwork and that she just had to reason with Naruto, win a lecture against Sakura and kick Sasuke's butt to teach them teamwork, even though it's all impossible, but it would be meaningless for her. What will she gain? Will she learn the importance of teamwork like the other three will? No, she already had that knowledge. Will she gain a little more respect and/or understanding for her teammates and sensei? No, she had that, too. Then what was left? What could she do? And again what will she gain? Understanding. Not for them but for herself. Miyako knew about them more than they would share with her but they knew near nothing about her. They were just getting a grasp of her personality and attitude. Now she was going to show them how she fought, how she thought, what her motivation and what her dreams were. She was going to show them Nagahoshi Miyako in battle. And she could just hope she doesn't mess up.

Miyako had started with lower heights. Fences were a good idea. They were no more than two meters high. She could deal with that. Miyako found out that she could leap way further and higher than before. Thanks to the weight training perhaps. She then decided to go in the forest and try jumping from the trees' lower branches. That was three meters high. Yeah, she could deal with that, too. But four and five meters was a little scary for her. It brought a fair amount of danger with it. Danger of falling. It sent chills down her spine every time she imagined herself falling splat on the ground. But then she pushed those thoughts away making room for a stronger one filled with determination: '_Then don't fall! Keep leaping up and ahead and don't worry about falling. If you do fall, jump! Jump ahead._' That's how she made it through six meters high, seven, eight…

By nightfall she could already jump up and down as high and as low as she wanted. Well, as long as there was a tree or a wall of some sort to support her. Miyako felt nice as she was jumping over the roofs in the village towards her apartment. It was like she was flying. Soaring over the roofs like a newborn bird. She was happy. She grinned. Now she could enter her apartment through her terrace.

~Next day~

Miyako woke up with the alarm clock set for ten. She yawned in her big creamy night t-shirt stomping over to the bathroom to wash her teeth. Yeah, Kakashi said to be there at five but if he wasn't there that early, why should she be? She wasn't one to miss out on valuable sleep time or get up way early for no reason.

After that Miyako plopped her now clothed self on the table with a bowl of milk, a "Ninja heroes" cereal box and a spoon in her mouth and turned on the TV. It showed the same animated ninja in black that were on the cereal box.

Miyako had recently found out that the kids here also had a cartoon about ninja. However, those ninja were the classical ones dressed in black clothing, using short katana, shuriken and kunai as weapons. They were three brave heroes thrown by their arch enemy in a world without ninja, which for Miyako's amusement was damn similar if not the same as her world. They battled villains like greedy businessmen and crooks while trying to find a way back home. The main character was the brave, stoic and trusting Yuudai with black hair and eyes, then there was his best friend and rival the funny, sly but a little loud red haired Ryuu and last but not least was their smart, passionate and elegant blond haired female companion Aimi, who was in love with Yuudai while hating Ryuu who was in love with her and hated Yuudai. Familiar, ne? Miyako thought Yuudai was like a nice Sasuke, Ryuu was like a… well… clever Naruto and Aimi was like, in a male point of view sexy, but in her view more beautiful and grown up Sakura.

The brown head smiled as the two males started bickering on the TV screen and she started eating her cereal. Yeah, Kakashi said not to eat breakfast so they wouldn't throw up but they weren't going to throw up anyway. It was a trick to make them weak without the pleasure of eating breakfast.

~Training grounds, 11 A.M. ~

"Morning~!"

"You're late!" Sakura yelled at Miyako who grinned and held up her hands in defense. Sakura was standing in front of three backpacks while Sasuke and Naruto were on each of her sides. Sasuke from her left, glared at Miyako, signaling he had noticed she was there and then continued brooding. Naruto was slouched down on the ground on the pinkette's other side while leaning on his green backpack. When Sakura yelled, he jumped startled and mumbled "morning, 'ttebayo" before dozing off again.

"Technically, I'm not late. Sensei isn't here yet." Miyako excused and plopped herself and her gray and blue backpack down next to Naruto.

"What kind of excuse is that?" Sakura began twitching.

"Eeh? Did you miss me that much?" Miyako grinned again. Sakura sighed in irritation and sat down again.

"Hi fellows. Ohayo." Kakashi arrived ten minutes later and waved at them.

"You're late!" An angry pointing Sakura and a now fully awake Naruto stood up and yelled at him in unison.

"11:10… I told ya you were gonna be late." On the side, Miyako smiled and Sasuke glared at the jounin crossing his arms.

"A black cat crossed my path, so…" Kakashi happily started to explain but stopped after Sakura and Naruto growled at him. "Ehem… Let's move on." He became more serious.

The four watched the jounin walk to the three pillars positioned on his right and put his backpack down. He took out an alarm clock, put it on top of the middle pillar and pushed its button. "Alarm set at 12pm." Then he took out two bells and jingled as he showed them to his students. "Today's topic is to get one of these bells from me." He jingled them again. "Whoever can't will have no lunch-"

"What?" Naruto squeaked.

"I'm going to tie you there and eat lunch in front of you." He pointed to the pillars. Miyako heard the other three's stomachs grumble. She looked at them. They had an uneasy expression as Sakura was clutching her tummy, Naruto had his hands on his head and Sasuke was slouched in defeat. It made her chuckle.

"But wait, why are there only two bells?" said Sakura recovering quickly and pointing up two fingers.

"Hmm…" Kakashi eye-smiled. "Since there are only two bells, at least two of you will have to be tied to the logs. Those two will fail since they failed to complete the mission. They will go back to the academy." The three next to Miyako narrowed their eyes. "It might be just two or all four. You can use your shuriken. You won't be able to get this unless you have the will to kill me." Kakashi pulled the bells up and grabbed them in his hand.

"But that's too dangerous, sensei!" Sakura protested.

"Yeah! You couldn't even dodge that chalk eraser!" said Naruto grinning with his hands behind his head at the memory.

"In society, those who don't have many abilities tend to complain more," said Kakashi."Just ignore the guy with the lowest score." Naruto's smile faded. "We're going to start after I say "Ready, start"."

Miyako saw Naruto glare at Kakashi and the next thing she could barely see. First Naruto took out a kunai, then he jumped at Kakashi with a battle cry and then… Kakashi reappeared behind Naruto holding the boy's hand with the kunai dangerously close to the back of Naruto's neck. Miyako, Sakura and Sasuke stepped back in awe as Sakura let out a gasp.

"Don't get so hasty." Kakashi said while holding Naruto's head. "I didn't say "start", yet." He let go and Naruto backed away holding his hand. The position in which it was held looked rather painful. "But it looks like you have the will to kill me now." Kakashi laughed as all four pairs of eyes were narrowed at him. "I think I can finally start liking you four. We're going to start." The four got ready. "Ready…" They crouched. "Start!" They jumped away in different directions leaving Kakashi alone on the field.

'_Okay… Fighting him is totally out of the question. There's no way in hell I can hit him or avoid any of his hits! He's too fast!_' Miyako panicked while hiding behind a tree and a bush, several meters left of Sakura. From there she had a perfect view of both Kakashi in the clearing and Sakura lying behind some bushes. She saw Naruto jump in front of Kakashi and start ranting about a fair and square match. Miyako smiled calming down a little. '_Well, on the bright side, there's always plan "B" - Go with the flow._' Naruto rushed at Kakashi who took out an orange book making everyone anime-fall. '_I have to wait and don't get in the way… They need to be thought a lesson by Kakashi._' Miyako sat on the ground to watch the show.

Naruto tried a punch, a roundhouse kick, another punch but Kakashi avoided them and got behind him. He crouched making a "tora" seal. Sakura yelled for Naruto to run but it was too late… Kakashi poked Naruto in the butt sending the boy flying and splashing in the river. Everyone sweatdropped.

Next, Naruto used Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu surprising Kakashi as well as two of his teammates but yet again failed. Kakashi substituted himself with one of Naruto's clones making the Naruto clones hit one of their own… and then start a brawl between his clones. Everyone sweatdropped… again.

After that Naruto got caught in an obvious trap. More sweatdropping.

Kakashi turned up to lecture him and Sasuke decided it was a good moment to make his move. He threw several projectiles hitting Kakashi right on target. But it turned out to be a kawarimi. With his position discovered, Sasuke ran through the trees in search for a new hiding place as Sakura followed him disappearing out of Miyako's sight.

'_Eeh… Now all I can watch is Naruto trying to get down._' Miyako looked at the orange boy hanging by a rope tied to his legs from a tree in the clearing. Suddenly, a loud cry sounded trough the forest having a very close similarity to Sakura's voice. '_And there she goes. So much for our team's first rate mind._' Miyako sweatdropped. In the clearing Naruto managed to cut his rope with a kunai and land on solid ground. He grinned only to be caught by the same trap again. Another cry was heard, louder than the one before. '_Sheesh. I still can't believe she fainted instead of helping the "genjutsu hurt" Sasuke. And she calls Naruto an Idiot…_' Miyako looked back at the hanging Naruto and sighed. '_Guess I should help him…_' She stood up and appeared from her hiding spot. She walked to Naruto's tree and took out a kunai throwing it to cut the rope. Grinning, Naruto twisted landing down like a cat and stood up.

"Thanks, Miyako! Listen, you know what I spotted behind the poles…?" He bent forward and said with a hand next to his mouth like he was whispering.

"Huh…? What are you talking about?" Miyako leaned over to hear with a confused face.

"There's this rock with two bentou on it! I say we go eat them while Kakashi-sensei's not here, 'ttebayo!" His grin widened as he pointed towards the poles.

"Bad idea!" Miyako waved her hands in front of her. "We'll get caught."

"No we won't!" Naruto protested.

"Do what you like…" She sighed. "But I'm telling you it's a bad idea."

"See ya…" Naruto stomped off to the poles.

"Well, might as well go find Sasuke's buried sorry ass and dig him out." She looked around. "Now where is he…?" Just then a loud male cry was heard from Miyako's left. "Bingo! He got caught in Kakashi's doton jutsu…" And with that she sprinted off towards the cry.

In a similar clearing near the river, Miyako popped out from the trees and bushes while running. Something caught her eye and she stopped mid-run in the middle of the clearing eyes widening. She turned towards it and a moment later she exploded in a fit of laughter and fell on the ground with teary eyes clutching her stomach. There it was. A couple of meters away from Miyako a head with raven hair and an annoyed expression was sticking out of the ground. Uchiha Sasuke was stuck neck high in the earth… and Nagahoshi Miyako was laughing her ass off blabbering about "duck but hair" and something about cherishing that moment forever.

"Are you done already?" The head glared at her as she was regaining her composure.

"Sumimasen, sumimasen…" Miyako walked towards him while wiping her tears off. "But you've totally had your ass owned by sensei!" She laughed again making him glare again. She stopped and he stared blankly at her. Miyako crouched right in front of Sasuke's head and looked at him with a smirk. That went for a while before Miyako spoke. "The words you're looking for are: "Would you please dig me out."" Sasuke grunted and looked away trying to burn an innocent bundle of grass nearby with his glare. He obviously wasn't going to further degrade his pride by asking the girl for help. Miyako took out a kunai and fixed it into the ground in front of him, trying to dig him out.

"I didn't ask for your help." Sasuke growled.

"Look here, duck butt, you're lucky that I'm nice and I'll dig you out no matter how big of an ego queen you are!" Miyako snapped and started digging harder.

"Whatever…"

Just then Sakura popped from the right and stopped in mid-run staring wide eyed at Sasuke's head and the kunai in Miyako's hand.

"Sakura?" Miyako and Sasuke said as she screamed something about a "severed head", started shaking her head with her hands on it and passed out.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke muttered.

"Besides everything from her hair color to her attitude? Dunno..." Miyako joked and started laughing. Sasuke stared at her like she was insane with a sweatdrop.

After a couple of minutes, Miyako managed to dig Sasuke out and now they were trying to wake Sakura up. Miyako lifted her hand ready to slap the girl hard but Sasuke caught it.

"Are you stupid?" He glared.

"Huh…? You have a better plan?" She looked dully.

"Shake her awake." Miyako got ready to lift Sakura in a standing position and shake the hell off of her. Sasuke grabbed her hand again before she did, though. "Gently, you moron."

"I knew that." Miyako stated dully and started shaking Sakura lightly by the shoulders. "Sakura~! Saakuraa~! SAKURA!" The pinkette still didn't wake up. "HEY, FOREHEAD! SASUKE'S MARRIED TO INO AND THEY'RE MAKING BABIES!" Sasuke glared at the brunette. As Sakura didn't give a response, Miyako gave up shaking her. "You sure I can't slap her?" She looked at the boy with a smirk making him sweatdrop.

"Let me try."

"Knock yourself out." Miyako leaned back to make room for the boy.

"Sakura." He pushed her shoulder. "Sakura, snap out of it!" Now Sakura slightly opened her eyes while Sasuke was over her. Miyako twitched.

'_Did she fake it so Sasuke would wake her?_'

"Sasuke-kun? You were okay!" After focusing her sight, Sakura yelled and hugged Sasuke tightly.

'_Yeah, definitely…_'

"Don't get so close!" The poor boy had to use a lot of effort to pry her off.

"Well aren't you two the cutest thing…?" Miyako mused from the right earning a glare from the two. That just made her smirk grow bigger.

"There's little time until noon," said Sasuke and stood up. "I'm going."

"Sasuke-kun, are you still going after the bell?" Sakura asked concerned as she and Miyako also stood up.

"I was able to touch it a while ago. I can get it next time."

"Eh? Aah…!" Sakura looked awed and smiled. "Is that so? You're amazing, Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura-nee, if you continue with the but-licking you just might get a cookie." Miyako got a smack behind the head. "Itai…"

"Shuddup!" Sakura returned to normal and smiled at Sasuke again. "Ano sa… Since we have little time left, why don't we try harder next time and give up for now?" Sasuke scowled making her smile fade. He turned his back to her in deep thought. Sakura immediately regretted what she said and became gloomy. Miyako dully looked back and forth from Sasuke's back to Sakura.

"Only I can kill that man." Sasuke began and Sakura looked worriedly back at him.

"Eh… Nani?" she asked. "You mean sensei?"

"Highly doubt it…" Next to her, Miyako muttered so only Sakura heard.

"I was crying at that time…" They lost him. Sasuke had gone back in the emo past remembering the "incident".

"Crying…?" Sakura repeated.

"My…"

"Nani? What are you talking about?" Sakura became anxious.

"I am an avenger. I must become stronger than him." Sasuke said confident. "I don't have time to stumble here." Sakura remembered yesterday when he said he wanted to kill a certain man.

"Riiing…"

"Kuso, I wasted my time talking." Sasuke clenched his fists and walked away.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura muttered worriedly.

"He'll be fine. Don't worry!" Miyako smiled waving a hand. '_For now…_'

A couple of minutes later the four genin were sitting by the pillars with Naruto tied to the one in the middle. Kakashi had put the two lunches in front of them making three out of four stomachs grumble.

"Ooh~!" Kakashi voiced with crossed arms. "Your stomachs are grumbling, eh?" He undid his arms and pointed a finger up. "By the way, about the results of this training… none of you need to go back to the Ninja Academy."

"Haa~!" Naruto smiled happily as Sakura stared in disbelief.

"Eh? But all I did was faint. Was that okay?" she said from the boy's right and Sasuke "hn"-ed with a smirk. "Yahoo!" Sakura jumped in joy. Next to her Miyako sighed. Everyone thought she was just relieved but she was actually preparing for what came next.

"Does that mean we four…?" Naruto kicked his legs happily.

"Yeah, you four…" Kakashi eye-smiled but then suddenly raised his voice."Should quit being ninja!" Sakura and Naruto stopped yelling in joy and stared shocked, Sasuke glared and Miyako tried on the fakest surprised look.

"Quit being ninja? What do you mean?" Naruto yelled outraged while kicking his feet. "We couldn't get a bell but why do you have to say we should quit?"

"It's because you four are just kids who don't even deserve to be ninja," said Kakashi with hands on his hips. On the far right, Sasuke grunted and dashed towards Kakashi. Naruto let out an "ah!" as Sakura yelled out Sasuke's name. Miyako stood up and patted the pinkette's back to calm her down. Next thing Sasuke knew, he was face-down in the dirt unable to move with Kakashi sitting on top of him with a foot over the boy's head and holding his left hand. "See? You all are just kids." Kakashi mused.

"Don't step on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exploded with tears in her face making Miyako retrieve her hand and step back from the hysterical girl with a sweatdrop.

"Do you think being a ninja is easy?" Kakashi scowled starting his lecture. Naruto and Sakura awed, Sasuke was gritting his teeth trying to get loose and Miyako just watched the jounin with slight interest. "Why do you think we're training by breaking up into groups?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura couldn't wait to ask.

"In other words, you four don't understand the answer of this test."

"The answer?" Naruto put on a dumb expression.

"That's right. The answer to determine whether you pass or fail."

"We've been asking what that is…" said Sakura.

"Geez, are your brains empty? You don't understand why you're all in a group?"

"So what about four people being in a group, dattebayo?" Naruto got impatient and yelled.

"Teamwork." Miyako mouthed the word as Kakashi said it.

"You mean cooperate with eachother?" Sakura asked, widening her eyes with Sasuke and Naruto as realization hit them like a truck.

"That's right. But it's too late even if you notice now." Kakashi glared. "If all four of you came at me at once, maybe you could have gotten a bell. But that's too bad."

"Why do we need to use teamwork when there are only two bells?" Sakura asked. "If four people work hard to get them, two will have to bite the bullet. A group conflict will occur instead of teamwork."

"Of course. This test tries to put the four of you against each other."

"Eh?" Naruto voiced.

"In this situation, we select those who can prioritize teamwork before themselves. That was the purpose but all of you were pathetic." He concluded. "Sakura!"

"Ah?" She stood alert.

"You cared more about Sasuke than Naruto and Miyako, even though Naruto was right in front of you, Miyako was behind you and you didn't know where Sasuke was." Sakura blushed slightly in shame.

"Naruto!" The boy also stood alert. "All you did was work on your own." He closed his eyes and hung his head.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi dug the boy's head into the ground with his foot. "And you assumed that those three were only going to burden you and did everything yourself." Sasuke gritted his teeth again.

"Miyako!" She slightly jumped, startled that he would call out her name. "You were insecure in your abilities and didn't even try to get a bell on your own. And even though you helped Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, you didn't ask for their help to get the bells." She scowled and looked away.

'_I didn't want to interfere with the events..._' she reasoned in her head. '_And I'm so not insecure in my abilities! I just know my limits._'

"Missions are done in groups. It's true that ninja need well-developed individual abilities but it's teamwork that is much more important. An individual action that disturbs the teamwork will result in danger or even death for the teammates. For example…" Kakashi reached in his back pouch and took out a kunai positioning it dangerously close to Sasuke's neck. "Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke's going to die!" Sakura and Naruto panicked, Sakura gasping in confusion and Naruto looking wide eyed back and forth from Kakashi to Sakura.

"She shouldn't kill him. Sasuke's a goner either way." Miyako said drawing all the attention to her. "If you're an enemy ninja, you're still gonna kill Sasuke after Sakura kills Naruto. And with our strongest teammates down, we won't be able to hold up against you and you'll kill us. I vote kill Sasuke. It's a better choice than having both him and Naruto dead." Sakura stared wide-eyed gaping at her.

"Yeah, that's what will most likely happen." Kakashi drew back his kunai and then narrowed his eyes at the brunette. "But you still shouldn't kill off your teammates that easily." That made her pout a little.

"Oh you surprised me…" Sakura and Naruto sighed with relief.

"After getting someone taken hostage, you will be faced with a difficult decision and someone will die." Kakashi said while spinning the kunai on his finger and after he finished speaking, he put the weapon back in his pouch. "That was some interesting logic, Miyako." The girl widened her eyes and blushed a little before looking away and muttering a "yeah, right…" "In every mission you put your life on the line." Kakashi got up from Sasuke and walked to the memorial stone. Feeling humiliated, Sasuke got up slowly. "Look at this… The numerous names carved into this stone. All these names are those praised as heroes in the village." Miyako looked at the memorial wandering if her parents' names were there. She decided to check if there were any Nagahoshi on the stone later.

"I like that! I like that!" Naruto grinned. "I've decided that I'm going to have my name carved into that! A hero! A hero! I'm not going to die a useless death, 'ttebayo!" Sasuke walked back in his previous place with hands in his pockets.

"But they're not normal heroes."

"Hee~… So what kind of heroes were they, dattebayo?" Kakashi stood silent and Naruto grew anxious. "Come on, tell me."

"Those who were K.I.A." Naruto looked confused and then grinned again.

"K.I.A.?"

"Those who were killed in action." Sakura explained with a worried face making Naruto lose his grin and look away in shame. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Miyako figured it reminded him of his family. She looked back at Kakashi's back with silent support for his sorrow over his former teammates.

"This is a cenotaph. The names of my friends are carved in here as well." Kakashi said as everyone became silent, lost in their own thoughts. After a while, the jounin changed the subject. "I'll give you one more chance." He turned to the four. "However, the battle for the bell will be much harsher after lunch." Sakura and Naruto listened to him wide eyed. They couldn't believe he was giving them another chance. "Eat lunch only if you are up for the challenge. But! Don't let Naruto eat."

"EH?" The orange boy voiced.

"This is punishment for breaking the rules and trying to get lunch early."

"Told ya it was a bad idea…" Miyako crossed her arms smirking from the side.

"No one lets Miyako eat either." Her smirk faded.

"Eeh~? Why me, too? I didn't do anything!" She protested.

"I told you not to eat breakfast. You're the only one whose stomach hasn't grumbled once all morning. You need to learn to listen to every order the sensei gives you." Miyako growled and turned her head aside. "If anyone feeds them, the person will immediately fail. I'm the rule here. Got it?" And with that he left.

"I'm the rule here. Got it?" Miyako mimicked. "Stupid book pervert…" She hurled down next to Sakura and let out a grunt. A couple of minutes later Miyako's tummy couldn't bear much more and started to protest. As Sakura and Sasuke ate, Naruto's stomach also let out a loud growl.

"I'm okay even if I don't eat!" He yelled. "I'm okay, dattebayo!" And just to prove him wrong his stomach called again. "Okay…" Naruto looked down in defeat.

"Here." Sasuke extended his bento to Naruto surprising both him and Sakura.

"Huh…?"

"Hey, Sasuke-kun! Sensei just said that…" Sakura looked around.

"Don't worry. I don't sense him nearby." Sasuke said.

"He's a jounin. You're not supposed to sense him if he's nearby." Miyako stood crossing her arms. A grumble was heard from her lower body and she blushed slightly looking away in embarrassment.

"You should eat, too." Now he offered his lunch to her.

"Huh? No, no, I…"

"We four are going to get the bells together. It's only going to be a bother if you two are hungry."

"B-but… I-I ate breakfast!" Miyako crossed her arms again and closed her eyes. "Feed Naruto and yourself. It'll be only fair if I don't get to- mff!" Someone stuffed rice in her mouth.

"Shut up and eat." Still indifferent, Sasuke took another chopstick-full of rice and reached to put it in her mouth. She blocked with her hand and gulped the first bite.

"What are you doing? I'm not a kid! I can feed myself!" Miyako yelled embarrassed, the mental side image of being fed like a kid by Sasuke making her feel awkward and irritated. She looked at Sakura offering her bento to a tied Naruto. "Sakura hasn't eaten breakfast or dinner. And yet she's giving Naruto her food so you wouldn't have to give him yours…" Miyako muttered so only Sasuke could hear. He smirked with a "hn", which to Miyako didn't seem like that bad of a reaction, and looked at the two light haired genin.

"Hurry, we don't know when he's going to return." Sasuke told Sakura and Naruto as he tried shoving another bite in Miyako's mouth.

"Forget it!" She got angry and turned her head again. Just as Naruto gulped his rice and thanked Sakura, a loud explosion of smoke erupted in front of the four and wind flew by as an angered Kakashi appeared yelling:

"You four!"

"AAH!" Naruto yelled trying to get loose from the ropes. Sakura also let out a cry and put her arms up do defend herself. Sasuke took his stance narrowing his eyes, ready to defend himself. Miyako just stood firm and waited.

"You four broke the rule. Are you prepared for the punishment?" Kakashi went through hand signs and the sky was immediately covered in thunder clouds as lightning struck now and then. "Any last words?" Sakura knelt on the ground covering her head in fear. A shiver ran down Miyako's spine.

'_Come on! This is so not frightening… Besides, I doubt death is a proper punishment for disobeying him…_' Miyako calmed herself. Lightning struck again and she jumped with a yelp. '_Damn… it's getting to me…_'

"But…" Naruto said as his jaw began shaking. Miyako knew he wasn't very keen on fearful horror movie stuff like ghosts or thunderstorms.

"Ah…?" Kakashi looked at him.

"But… but… but…" Naruto gained a little confidence and yelled. "You said…! That's why these two…" He eyed Sasuke and Sakura.

"We're a four man team, right?" Sasuke said causing Sakura to gather herself and stand up from the ground.

"Yeah! We four are one!" She yelled.

"And as a team we support eachother!" Miyako added with a smile. Naruto looked at all three of them.

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" He kicked his feat yelling. "That's right, dattebayo!"

"You three are one, eh?" Kakashi neared them. "As a team you support eachother?" He leaned forward with hands on his hips and eyed all of them.

Sasuke was in a stance ready to defend, Naruto was confident even though he was tied up, Sakura was in a weaker stance also ready to defend and Miyako also decided to copy her teammates and stay firm. All four were ready for the worst. Unlike the others' scowling faces, Miyako had a determined smile like she was sure everything was going to turn out right in the end. She looked like she knew Kakashi wasn't going to attack them, her expression showed no fear as if Kakashi was friendly and as if this was a mere spar and her opponent would stop if she was injured badly. The jounin wandered if she could sense that he didn't want to and wasn't going to hurt them. He dismissed that thought. Miyako was a mere genin. She probably just had confidence in her team and in luck. Kakashi smiled under his mask.

'_Time for surprise…_'

"You pass!" Kakashi eye smiled.

"Eh…?" Sakura and Naruto voiced and looked confused at him as Miyako grinned happily and abandoned her stance. Sasuke still stood his ground as if this was all a lie and Kakashi would attack them any moment.

"You pass." Kakashi repeated.

"Pass? Why?" Sakura asked with her hand still up in defense. The sky started to clear and the sun showed its warm and bright self behind the dark clouds.

"You four are the first. People I had previously were blockheads who just listened to what I said." Kakashi stood. "Ninja need to think beyond the normal. In the world of ninja those who break the rules are called scum. But those who don't take care of their friends are even worse scum."

"Well said!" Miyako shot a fist in the air as Sakura smiled in joy.

"He's… he's kinda cool." Naruto got teary eyed and Sasuke smirked sitting back down on the ground.

"The training ends here. Everyone passes!" Kakashi gave them a thumb up. "Team seven will be doing missions starting tomorrow!"

"Haai~!" Sakura sang with a grin as Miyako clenched her fists in front of her mouth with a big grin trying not to squeal with joy.

"Yattah, 'ttebayo! I'm a ninja, ninja, ninja!" Naruto cried like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Let's go home." Kakashi turned to leave as a back-to-brooding Sasuke, a happy Sakura and a joyful Miyako followed him. The latter got the feeling she was forgetting something but shrugged it off and continued walking.

"I **knew** this was going to end like this, dattebayo!" Naruto kicked trying to get loose. "Untie the friggin' rope, dattebayo!" Miyako turned to a tied up yelling Naruto and smiled with a sweatdrop.

'_That's what I forgot… The team mascot…_'

"Sorry Naruto!" She turned to go back to him. "I guess we were so happy we forgot you were tied… Eheheh…" She smiled as she took out a kunai, cut the rope and pocketed the weapon back in its holder. Naruto hopped down and straightened up grinning with hands on his hips.

"We passed…" He said content of himself.

"Yeah. Because we're a team, right...?" Miyako put out a fist pointing to Naruto. He looked at it confused for a while but then he grinned again and fisted his own hand slightly hitting Miyako's.

"Right!" They grinned at eachother and took off after the rest of the team. Miyako was glad that the jounin's test was over with. Now she had to look forward to easy and fun D-rank missions with Naruto goofing off, Sakura "taking care of him" and Sasuke doing manual labor that was supposedly beneath him. Those easy missions would give her time to train harder to reach her team's strength so she could be useful during the battle with Zabuza and Haku. Miyako smiled. Events were happening so fast yet so slow. It was confusing and exhausting but all and all fun.

* * *

**Sankyu for the reviews! **

**Onegai review desu! = Please review! (not convincing am I…) It really helps me avoid writer's block! And I just might update in Saturday instead of Sunday! Pwease! =3**


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